A series of fires in the Bronx have knocked out power for trains in the area, disrupting travel between New York Penn Station and New Haven, Connecticut — and suspending Amtrak service in both directions for the rest of the day.
The fires erupted along an Amtrak train route in the borough near a Con-Ed plant just after 2 p.m. following a reported transformer explosion. Video at the scene shows black smoke billowing up from the area no more than 15 feet from the tracks.
Limited service will still be available between Boston South Station and New Haven, according to an Amtrak alert, which initially referred to the blaze as a brushfire.
Trains approaching NY Penn Station are being moved out of the area at reduced speeds using diesel-powered engines.
Amtrak is encouraging riders traveling from New York to New Haven to instead use Metro-North Railroad services, which will be honoring Amtrak tickets in light of the service disruption. Customers with Amtrak tickets taking Metro-North trains will need to board at Grand Central Station.
As of 5 p.m., NJ Transit was not reporting any service disruptions related to the blaze.
This is a developing story. Please check back for more updates.
