Gov. Murphy calls out Amtrak for system failures, says it ‘disrupts quality of life’ for NJ residents

Gov. Phil Murphy called out Amtrak today after thousands of passengers were stranded for hours Wednesday at New York Penn Station during the rush hour commute due to a complete system failure.

Murphy wrote a letter to Amtrak, posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), saying he refuses to accept that these issues are inevitable during operations. Murphy says this latest incident marks the third infrastructure failure in just two days. He also noted that immediate action must be taken.

According to Murphy, the system failure made it impossible for commuters to get home in time. He says it even stranded commuters as far away as Washington, D.C.

“These delays are not only an inconvenience – they are incredibly disruptive to the lives of New Jerseyans. They cause commuters to miss important family events – from graduation celebrations to birthdays or simply dinner with their loved ones,” Murphy wrote in the letter.

Belleville resident Bruce Glaze told News 12 New Jersey that he sat on a train in between stations for two hours Wednesday night.

“No one tells you nothing, conductor walking by, they don’t know anything. Once the train started moving at 7:30, they let us off at Elizabeth. Everybody had to get off in Elizabeth and then you had to find your way home from Elizabeth. They don’t tell you anything and no refund,” Glaze said.

Murphy says Amtrak needs to make short-term and long-term investments to “address infrastructure vulnerabilities and updated emergency management plans to provide more robust alternate modes of transportation when equipment failure occurs.”

Murphy also says a comprehensive emergency management plan will need to be worked on within the next few days.