New Jersey

3 Hours of Gridlock on the Schuylkill, Amtrak and SEPTA Trains Canceled

SEPTA, PATCO, NJ Transit, Amtrak change services due to snow

Update: By Thursday morning, snow remained on side streets but most major highways were passable. SEPTA had most train and bus routes operating again with some residual delays. But, NJ Transit's Atlantic City Rail Line remained suspended due to signal problems. The Northeast Corridor Line also continued to experience some issues.

Drivers heading west on the Schuylkill Expressway sat in traffic for more than 3 hours Wednesday afternoon as a powerful storm left behind icy and slushy roads in its wake.

NBC10 reporter Aaron Baskerville walked up and down along the side of the highway speaking with people sitting in their cars, kids staring at phones and iPads to pass the time. 

"It's totally crazy," one woman said. "We got out to clear the windows, but that's about it."

Police told NBC10 at least two trucks jackknifed, blocking the highway and causing severe gridlock.

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AAA told NBC10 it has responded to more than 800 calls throughout the region, many of them for cars that were stuck in snow banks or skidded out of control. 

Because of these messy conditions, PennDOT reduced the speed limit to 45 mph on the following roadways:

Interstates 76, 95, 476, 676

U.S. Routes 1, 30, 202 and 422

State Routes 63, 100 Spur and 309

For real time information on Pennsylvania's roads, check out 511Pa.com.

In Philadelphia, the work crews mobilized early Wednesday morning to clear and treat streets with more than 40,000 tons of salt. Plowing will continue as snow accumulates. 

In South Jersey, Gloucester County has closed several roads due to flooding, including Route 130 in Westville, and Rt 130 in Logan Township and Route 44 in Paulsboro.

Drivers are advised to stay off the roadways for the remainder of the storm.

Below is a breakdown of how planes, trains and automobiles are dealing with the storm throughout the region: 

SEPTA

Regional Rail has suspended the Trenton Line. The West Trenton Line had been suspended, but has now resumed operation as of 3:30 p.m. The Cynwyd Line is also not running. Other lines will operate on a Saturday schedule. 

Similar to weekends, 24-hour weekend train service will be available on the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines Wednesday night. Trains will operate every 20 minutes the entire night and there will be no overnight Nite Owl bus service.

"The Broad Street and Market Frankford Lines are the best modes of travel for service to/from Center City during a severe storm," SEPTA said.

SEPTA buses will return to normal service as soon as conditions allow.

SEPTA also plans to operate on or close to a regular weekday schedule on Thursday though there may be some residual disruptions or delays.

SEPTA Customer Service Call Center: Opened at 6 a.m. Customers can call 215-580-7800 to speak to SEPTA representatives. You can also reach out to SEPTA via Twitter or check for service updates on SEPTA's website.

The full schedule is available on SEPTA.org.

Amtrak

Several trains have been canceled for the remainder of Wednesday and most of Thursday. See the list below:

Northeast Regional Service: 151,111,183, 193,187, 180,130, 184, 186, 188

Acela Express Service: 2190, 2150, 2100, 2104, 2110, 2166, 2126, 2128, 2103, 2107, 2151, 2117, 2121, 2165, 2119

Acela Express Service train 2163 will operate between New York City and Washington, D.C. only

Keystone Service: 605, 609, 647, 651,642, 646, 656, 620, 641, 640

Empire Service: 230, 234, 238, 242, 233, 235, 239, 243

Customers impacted by the cancellations can reschedule with change fees waived, Amtrak said. Check the website for more information. 

NJ Transit

Trains are running on a limited weekday rail schedule implemented during weather events and other emergency situations. Get more information here.

Bus routes are canceled starting at 4:30 p.m. 

PATCO

The South Jersey-Philadelphia line is running on a snow schedule. All trains will be local and will operate at reduced speeds. Get more information here.

Flying

Planes are being de-iced and many flights are still able to land and depart from Philadelphia International Airport. However, many trips are also being canceled, the airport said in a tweet. Make sure to contact your airline for up-to-the-minute information on your flight. 

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