"Trespasser Fatality" and NJ Transit Delays

The following explanation was issued by NJ Transit today, after a person was killed on the tracks at Hamilton Station Tuesday evening, causing delays of up to three hours on the Northeast Corridor:

"

NJ TRANSIT apologizes for the significant delay many of you experienced yesterday evening.

At 4:45 p.m., a southbound Acela train struck a 30-year-old woman standing on the express track at Hamilton Station.  The high-speed impact necessitated the closure of all four tracks and both platforms.

NJ TRANSIT Police, Amtrak Police and local emergency services immediately responded to the scene, and additional customer service personnel were dispatched to Hamilton and Princeton Junction to assist customers.

Initially, Northeast Corridor service was suspended in both directions between Jersey Avenue and Trenton to allow for the emergency response.  At approximately 6:00 p.m., the two tracks normally used for eastbound service were reopened at reduced speed - enabling NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak trains to operate by the scene using one track in each direction. 

The two normal westbound tracks remained out of service.  As a result, westbound trains operated to Trenton using what is normally the eastbound express track - requiring them to bypass Princeton Junction and Hamilton stations. It was not possible to utilize low-level platforms at either station because doing so would have stopped train traffic in both directions, resulting in greater delays.  Hamilton and Princeton Junction customers were advised to travel to Trenton, and then return to their destination on eastbound trains.

In all, 30 Northeast Corridor trains were delayed due to the limited number of available tracks and the speed restrictions due to the emergency response.  The most significant of these delays were between two and three hours, and some Hamilton and Princeton Junction customers who traveled by way of Trenton arrived at their destination between three and four hours late.  In addition, ten trains were cancelled and combined with other trains to mitigate congestion west of Jersey Avenue. 

We established cross-honoring with Suburban Buses to provide affected customers with alternate travel options.  We also extended River Line service with two additional departures from Trenton at 9:30 and 10:20 p.m. to accommodate customers on late-arriving trains.

The emergency recovery operation lasted until approximately 9:30 p.m., nearly five hours after the incident occurred.  Normal service on all four Northeast Corridor tracks was restored shortly thereafter.

During this incident, we provided the most current service information via station PA announcements, broadcast traffic reports and the My Transit alert system, which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your cell phone, PDA or pager.  (If you are not yet a My Transit subscriber, we encourage you to sign up at www.njtransit.com.) 

Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.  If you have additional questions or comments regarding these delays, please contact us online at www.njtransit.com or by calling NJ TRANSIT Customer Service at 973-275-5555."