Travel Disruptions Continue for American Travelers in Northeast During Winter Holidays
The winter holiday season has been a stressful one for American travelers in the Northeast, with heavy snow caused by Storm Devin leading to a state of emergency being declared in several counties by New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday, December 26. As a result, over a thousand flights have been canceled in the last three days, causing significant delays for countless passengers across the country. While some U. S. airlines have taken steps to assist affected travelers, many have turned to rail travel instead.
However, train services in the Northeast region have also been affected, with Amtrak reporting numerous cancellations and delays, particularly on some of its busiest routes. While weather conditions have been a major factor, not all disruptions have been caused by the storm. Here is a breakdown of the impacted trains, flights, and what travelers should expect in the coming days.
Amtrak Passengers Also Face Delays and Cancellations on Northeast Regional and Acela Services
Amtrak was proactive in alerting passengers about possible travel disruptions on Friday, December 26. A post on their Amtrak Northeast X page stated, “We are closely monitoring the path of the winter storm. Depending on the path of the storm, service adjustments may be necessary. We encourage you to monitor the status of your train for up-to-date departure times. If service adjustments occur, we will promptly inform affected customers.
As predicted, the following day, Saturday, December 27, trains experienced several delays and cancellations, including the Northeast Regional, Acela Service, Empire Service, Maple Leaf, and Valley Flyer. The Northeast Regional is Amtrak’s busiest route, with 12,018,536 passengers in 2025, while the Acela Service ranked second with 3,153,621 passengers, according to the Amtrak 2025 Ridership Report.
On Saturday, December 27, downed power lines blocked the tracks east of New York (NYP), causing delays and breaks in service. This resulted in the cancellation of the Acela 2253 train between Boston Back Bay (BBY) and Washington (WAS), as well as trains 160, 237, 63, and 64. The following day, Amtrak reported more disruptions, with train 499 canceled between Greenfield (GFD) and Springfield (SPG) due to equipment unavailability, and trains 165, 488, 461, and 400 also experiencing cancellations. In addition, trains Acela 2292, 2257, and 2151 were canceled for various reasons, including “unrecoverable engine failure” and “equipment unavailability. ” TheTravel has reached out to Amtrak for comment.
Over a Thousand Flights Canceled Over the Weekend Due to Storm Devin
According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, a total of 1,062 flights were canceled on Saturday, December 27