Hellish Commute

This morning's commute by NJ Transit and PATH was anything but routine. First, there were problems on the Northeast Corridor due to downed wires, which meant trains were operating 30-60 minutes late. As I take the Bergen/Main line, this shouldn't affect my commute, but the announcements meant that those who transfer at Secaucus to New York Penn (including Mrs. Lawhawk) stayed on the train to go to Hoboken so that they could take PATH into Manhattan.

Little did we know that PATH service was shut down because of a track fire. The situation was first reported on the PATH website at 7:45 AM, and reported continually throughout the rush hour, but NJ Transit didn't get the memo and didn't report it to commuters heading into Hoboken:

1/3/2008 9:34:36 AM
Concerning the earlier track condition problem, train service on the Hoboken to 33rd Street line is operating with a 15 minute delay.


1/3/2008 9:33:33 AM
Concerning the earlier track condition problem, train service on the Hoboken to World Trade Center line is operating with a 15 minute delay.


1/3/2008 8:55:54 AM
Due to police activity, train service on the Journal Square to 33rd Street line is operating with a 15 minute delay.


1/3/2008 8:54:59 AM
Due to police activity, train service on the Newark to World Trade Center line is operating with a 15 minute delay.


1/3/2008 8:32:49 AM
Passenger Alert: Due to suspended service on the Hoboken to WTC and Hoboken to 33rd Street line passengers bound for World Trade Center or 33rd Street are advised to take the Hudson Bergen Light Rail to Pavonia Newport or Exchange Place to continue their trip on PATH.


1/3/2008 7:47:19 AM
Due to a track condition, train service on the Hoboken to 33rd Street line is suspended.


1/3/2008 7:46:31 AM
Due to a track condition, train service on the Hoboken to World Trade Center line is suspended.


1/3/2008 7:45:28 AM
Due to a track condition, train service on the Hoboken to World Trade Center line is suspended.

Had Mrs. Lawhawk and I known that PATH was suspended, we would have gotten off at Secaucus and taken the NE Corridor trains into Manhattan, which were running, albeit crowded to maximum capacity. The situation in Hoboken was intolerable and the directions given to commuters did little to actually rectify the situation as the other modes of transit were strained beyond capacity. The crushing mass of commuters made it nearly impossible to navigate Hoboken Terminal and get to where you could actually take their alternative suggestions.

NJ Transit dropped the ball by not informing commuters of the problems with PATH until you actually arrived in Hoboken.

Mrs. Lawhawk and I both backtracked from Hoboken to Secaucus, where we were able to catch trains into New York Penn within minutes of arriving there. 10 minutes later, we were in Penn Station and I arrived in work 45 minutes late.

This was my first time utilizing Secaucus Transfer, and it definitely came in handy in the crisis situation, although the half billion spent on the project could have been better used in upgrading the infrastructure on the NE Corridor including better catenary towers that power the NE Corridor.

UPDATE:
There were three separate fires affecting PATH service this morning.