Full PATCO service restored, 2 days after severe storms
PATCO says it expects to resume regular service before the afternoon rush.
Full service has been restored on PATCO, with all trains running on or close to their normal schedules before Wednesday’s afternoon rush hour.
After two days of repairs hindered by soggy ground, the Lindenwold and Ashland stations are also open, PATCO said.
Severe storms during Monday’s evening rush hour knocked down trees, power lines and a utility pole, cutting off the two end-of-line stations on PATCO’s eastern end.
NJ Transit’s Atlantic City Rail Line also was affected by the damage, though service was restored to the line Wednesday afternoon.
Monday marked the second time in a little more than a month that the weather severely disrupted PATCO’s service. On June 20, flooding at stations and on tracks from overnight downpours paralyzed the line for the day.
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said the number of power outages across the state had significantly dropped from a peak of 357,000 Monday night.
Public Service Electric & Gas said on Twitter that 100 out of an expected 500 out-of-state repair workers “are already here and on the job."
The utility reported Wednesday afternoon that 8,800 customers in Burlington County and 2,300 in Camden County were still without power.
Peco reported that outages were still affecting a handful of customers in Bucks County and Delaware County Wednesday afternoon.
The weather forecast for Wednesday calls for calls for partly sunny skies and the possibility of isolated showers with highs in the mid-80s.
Staff writers Joseph A. Gambardello and Oona Goodin-Smith contributed to this article.