From the New Jersey market report: New Jerseyans commuting to and from Penn Station this summer may begin to question the value of living in the prized neighborhoods that bill themselves as “convenient” to New York City. Two train derailments within 11 days this spring — one of which forced the closure of eight of Penn Station’s 21 aging tracks, creating a ripple of delays for Jersey and Long Island commuters alike — finally brought an urgency to the transit hub’s long-deteriorating condition. Amtrak announced that several tracks out of Penn will be closed over the summer for repairs, and commuters are bracing for major delays.
But just three blocks west of there, weeks after the highly publicized April 3 derailment, Amtrak Chairman Tony Coscia waxed optimistic about the rail line’s expansion.