Wednesday brought continued challenges for some individuals as Amtrak service remains halted between New York City and Westchester, all due to an unsafe parking garage situated above train tracks in Hell’s Kitchen.
On Wednesday, construction crews resumed their efforts to repair the damaged Icon parking garage at 524 W. 51st St. New footage from the Department of Buildings demonstrates progress in addressing the safety concerns that prompted the closure on Friday. The property’s engineer had identified two holes and promptly called 911. One of these holes provides a view of the train tracks, as the garage is positioned above an Amtrak tunnel.
Keen to investigate to prevent further disruptions
Michael Shenoda, assistant professor of civil engineering technology at Farmingdale State College, noted the significance of addressing multiple holes, suggesting a potential deeper issue that crews are keen to investigate to prevent further disruptions.
Governor Kathy Hochul expressed dissatisfaction with Amtrak’s pace in resolving the situation and is dispatching her team to expedite repairs. She emphasized her outrage over the prolonged suspension of service between Albany and New York City.
During the extensive repairs, Amtrak advises customers heading to the impacted Croton-Harmon station to use Grand Central, where Metro-North will honor tickets. Additionally, over 100 cars remain trapped inside the Hell’s Kitchen garage, and their relocation is expected next week for safety reasons.
Manhattan resident Brandon Duff, while understanding the importance of safety, expressed a wish for a more efficient process of extracting the cars before initiating repair work.
It was highlighted that prior to last year, there was no inspection program for city parking structures. However, a new requirement mandates inspections every six years. Despite more than 1,000 structures expected to submit reports by year-end, 90% have not, including the garage causing the Amtrak disruption.
Shenoda emphasized the need for increased inspections, considering the general age of infrastructure in New York. Amtrak service is set to resume on Thursday morning, with full service on both tracks expected by Saturday. Minor delays may persist until both tracks are fully restored.
Full service is anticipated to be reinstated on Thursday
The Department of Buildings assured that the structural defects in the parking garage do not pose a threat to neighboring buildings in the area.
Amtrak has announced that service is scheduled to resume at New York Penn Station (NYP) tomorrow under single-tracking conditions. Full service is anticipated to be reinstated on Thursday, with trains operating in both directions by Friday, as confirmed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
The temporary suspension of service was attributed to safety concerns arising from structural issues in a privately owned building, not affiliated with Amtrak, situated above the Empire Line tracks in Manhattan. The Vermonter line in Randolph remained unaffected by this disruption.
Governor Hochul deployed senior members of her administration to address the challenges posed by what she described as “crumbling infrastructure,” leading to the temporary halt in service.
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