Senator Phillips’ Statement on Continued Penn Station Service Disruptions

     “Having recently called for Amtrak to undertake a comprehensive safety & operational review after a second train derailment at Penn Station within two weeks, I am pleased that the MTA is also demanding action from Amtrak with regard to their maintenance of Penn Station.

     The MTA, through no fault of its own, is still being forced to significantly reduce LIRR service two days after a NJ Transit derailment in Penn Station.  LIRR riders continue to suffer cancelations, delays and service disruptions.  They dealt with similar delays multiple times in the last month because of infrastructure issues at the station.  As a former LIRR commuter who spent 20 years taking the train to Penn Station, I know the frustration and inconvenience these delays cause.

     When accidents happen, there is a responsibility to take steps to keep them from happening again.  Amtrak owns and operates Penn Station, and the number of issues there in the last month alone shows that they need to do more.  For the betterment of the 650,000 people who pass through Penn Station every day, I hope that they will.”