As summer comes to a close so too does the "Summer of Hell"

Amtrak said the repairs being done all across the tracks at Penn Station will be done on time and that the inconvenience commuters are experiencing is coming to a close:

"Track repairs have continued apace while many New Yorkers focus on the ongoing subway crisis, and regular service is now scheduled to resume on Tuesday, September 5th...

...Amtrak has already completed more than six of the eight scheduled weeks of repair work, according to the agency. Repairs have focused on a network of aging New Jersey Transit and Amtrak tracks on the station's western end, confirmed in the wake of mounting service delays, derailments, and residual commuter headaches."

While only a fool would take their word for it, it is good news, far better than we keep hearing from the Pulaski Skyway repair team.

Johnny's a big proponent of rail travel but you can't have this

As some of you may know from previous posts, Johnny doesn't fly. He drives and or takes train rides. He very much enjoys the train. He also likes it when he gets a ticket that Amtrak tells him the correct platform it's leaving from so he can, you know, get on. Well Saturday Amtrak told over 200 passengers the WRONG platform number for their ACELA Amtrak ride from Penn Station to Washington D.C.

Now suppose you're the conductor waiting on the platform the train was actually waiting to depart on, would you notice that ZERO people got on board? Would you use your radio to call someone? Not if you're the conductor on ACELA 2253, the fact nobody (NOBODY) got on didn't phase them one bit. So off an empty train went to Washington D.C.

Yes, empty:

“They literally sent us to the wrong platform, and the conductor took off without any passengers,” said Damien Miano, 60, of Chelsea. “The right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing. It was just so bizarre.”

Several passengers took to Twitter to vent their rage — and bewilderment.

“@Amtrak u didn't find it strange that no one from NYC got on the Acela to DC?? Left an entire train of people at Penn #mindblown,” wrote @JamieBraaten.

“Thanks @Amtrak, missing a wedding cause Acela 2253 left NYC without boarding any passengers,” wrote @mikeyuBCN.

More on the ghost train to D.C. right here, all aboard!

An interesting proposal has come out of NYC, moving MSG one block west

A developer has proposed moving Madison Square Garden one block west during renovations/city improvements. According to the New York Times:

Steven Roth is quietly trying to revive a plan to move Madison Square Garden one block west of its current home atop Pennsylvania Station just as the arena is beginning a major $850 million renovation.

The interesting part here is if this proposal were to be somehow adopted and the Garden moved how much of the $850 million (like so much chicken feed in NY real estate deals) is already committed to the improvements, how many contracts have been signed and how much has been promised.

More on Roth's proposed move of MSG:

Now, Mr. Roth is proposing to scrap the zoning district and the development rights transfer. He would simply move the Garden into a new arena that would be built within the walls of the James A. Farley Post Office, which sits across Eighth Avenue from the Garden. The post office building would also become an adjunct for an expanded Penn Station, which would be renamed Moynihan Station.

It's an interesting IDEA to be certain and who knows how it all shakes out when you have three professional teams involved all looking out for their own interests. No worries yet anyway, this will take quite while to decide on.

You don't want that

Johnny is convinced you can watch the teevee news and no matter the bad news story you can respond with one of two lines, either "Don't go there" or "You don't want that". This morning we bring you "You don't want that"

New York City's Penn Station is temporarily CLOSED to traffic because Amtrak is unable to close Portal Bridge in Kearny.

Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line and Midtown Direct train service lines are affected. NJ Transit passes and tickets will be accepted to use on the Path lines at Hoboken and Newark and using NJ Transit bus service.

Good luck commuters, godspeed.....