LIRR, NJ Transit divert trains through Friday rush as Penn Station debacle drags on

Key Points:

• Amtrak announced it expects to reopen the East River tunnels by 5 a.m. Saturday after a fire on Thursday morning caused significant disruptions to Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), NJ Transit, and Amtrak services.
• On Friday, LIRR, NJ Transit, and Amtrak operated on limited service, with NJ Transit diverting Midtown direct trains to Hoboken and LIRR rerouting most trains to Grand Central or Atlantic Terminal, suspending westbound service to Penn Station.
• LIRR warned riders that rerouted trains would not appear in their app and urged passengers to listen for announcements amid ongoing service challenges.
• The fire, which broke out in a tunnel connecting LIRR between Manhattan and Queens, is under investigation, with no details yet on the cause or extent of equipment damage.
• The disruptions come as LIRR faces a potential service shutdown starting at midnight due to union strike threats over stalled negotiations with the MTA regarding pay raises and work rules.