A track fire halted train service at Penn Station yesterday for four hours – forcing thousands of jittery riders to evacuate amid fears of a terror attack.
The fire started around 4 p.m. after a cable overheated and burst into flames on track 21 – filling the station with smoke and stranding thousands of Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak passengers, authorities said.
“I’m still hoping to catch my train,” said Donald Lewis, a freight elevator operator who was trying to catch a LIRR train to Bellerose, Queens, so he could have a romantic dinner with his wife.
“It’s a good possibility I’ll miss my dinner reservations. I’m still hoping to catch my train. This sure slowed down my Valentine’s Day.”
Teams of NYPD and MTA cops closed off the transit hub as firefighters put out the flames amid fear the incident could be a terror attack.
“I’m going to cry,” said Joy Cramden, 22, a college student who was waiting for a train to Hicksville, L.I. “I’m all alone and I don’t know what’s going on.”
Lydia Kim, 22, who was waiting to meet a friend at Penn Station, was also worried the fire could have been an attack.
“It’s kind of scary when you don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “Even little things can be very alarming these days.”
Cops let hordes of people back into the station around 5:30 p.m. once the fire was put out.
But droves of angry people decided to leave the station looking for alternative ways to get somewhere.
Long lines formed at taxi stands as people elbowed each other for a chance to grab a cab.
“I’m not going anywhere for a while,” said Rachel Traub, 27, who ditched her Long Island plans as she tried to get a taxi to meet friends in downtown Manhattan. “I understand the need for safety, but this is horrible.”
A couple from Philadelphia took the delay in stride – opting for a bite to eat while they waited for train service to resume.
“I guess this is what it’s like visiting New York these days,” said Rich Lukis, who along with his wife, Wendy, watched swarms of cops surround the station as they ate dinner at a corner diner. “We weren’t ready to leave yet anyway.”