New Jersey and New York City commuters are facing extensive delays in and out of New York Penn Station Friday, with intensifying ripple effects, after an Amtrak work train car on one of the hub’s tracks caught fire.

The FDNY says it was called to the Midtown scene on 31st Street, between Seventh and Eighth avenues, around 1:30 a.m. Nearly 100 personnel responded. Five civilians were evaluated at the scene by EMS, officials say.

It’s not clear what sparked the fire involving Amtrak’s contractor maintenance vehicles in one of the Hudson River Tunnels. It was knocked down well before 6 a.m., but impacts crippled the morning rush, with Hudson River trains operating at reduced capacity. Amtrak said it didn’t expect to lift its suspension until the afternoon.

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Photo credit: @grep_now

New Jersey Transit also was shut down for hours. Cross-honoring and diversion programs were in effect as the situation developed. After an earlier suspension, LIRR service at NY Penn resumed by around 7 a.m., Friday, officials said, though equipment issues were causing cancellations. Get the latest transit information here.

An Amtrak worker was later seen telling an astronomically long line of impacted riders that the agency would offer automatic refunds within two or three days.

Amtrak apologizes for the inconvenience and is providing rebooking opportunities and refunds while it works to return to scheduled service levels.

NJ TRANSIT rail service is experiencing significant impacts due to an earlier Amtrak track car fire in one of the Hudson River tunnels. Impacts are expected to last through the morning rush hour.

For details, visit https://t.co/JxpVIAdTE3 pic.twitter.com/joFoGP1Ju2

— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) May 29, 2026

Video from outside Penn Station showed smoke billowing in the pre-dawn hours, as emergency personnel stood by with stretchers awaiting any potential victims.

Amtrak is investigating the cause of the fire.

“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may cause,” the agency’s latest announcement said, pledging to provide updates as new information becomes available.