- New York will suspend bus, subway and commuter rail services as storm approaches
- Airlines are letting ticketed travelers change their plans at no fee
- Amtrak cancels several trains that originate or end in East Coast stations
New York (CNN) -- The subway in the city that never sleeps will shut down Sunday night as officials brace for the impact of Hurricane Sandy.
New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority will suspend subway service at 7 p.m., Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. The last commuter railroad trains will also leave at that time. And bus service will stop at 9 p.m., he said.
"The storm is coming ... and now it is time to take action," Cuomo told reporters. "A situation like this, you don't want to be overly panicked and overly prepared, but you want to be prudent and you want to do what is necessary."
The storm is expected to cause massive flooding and widespread power outages when it hits the East Coast, in full, late Sunday and into next week. But before that happens, transportation companies and government officials are allowing -- and, in some cases, urging -- people to plan for the worst.
A number of airlines, for example, are allowing customers to change their flight plans without paying any fees due to Sandy.
Delta will let those ticketed to fly between Sunday and Wednesday, in and out of airports in 15 states and the District of Columbia, to reschedule by November 4. United's offer applies to travel to-and-from 29 airports, for the same dates.
East Coast braces for 'superstorm'
Other airlines, such as American, are offering a similar process, with slight variations. And at least in U.S. Airways' case, the weather is already keeping airlines busy: The airline apologized to customers on its Twitter feed for long waits to get through to agents due to a high call volume tied to Sandy.
Amtrak announced Saturday that it will cancel some of its train runs on Sunday to and from Richmond and Newport News, Virginia; Chicago and Washington; Miami and New York; and Washington and New York. In addition, a train scheduled to run Monday between Washington and Chicago will also remain in the station.
"Passengers are encouraged to travel on earlier available trains on Sunday," Amtrak said in a news release. "Additional cancellations might be necessary in the coming days as this major storm moves north."
Meanwhile, New Jersey is taking steps to shut down NJ Transit bus, rail and Access Link service on Monday -- much as it did last year for 36 hours due to Hurricane Irene.
"By beginning this important process, NJ Transit will be better able to support the state's response to Hurricane Sandy by freeing up buses or other resources that may be needed for hurricane relief," Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson said in a press release.
For all the potential headaches at airports, train stations and bus terminals, the type of transportation affected first and most directly by Sandy may be boating. All along the East Coast, meteorologists and officials have warned people to steer clear of the seas because of potentially perilous high winds and large waves tied to the storm.
Pam and Bob Haigh, a Rhode Island couple, were surprised -- given how late it is in the hurricane season -- that Sandy has delayed their plans to sail from Maryland to the Florida Keys.
But they know that this isn't the first time that Mother Nature has affected travel plans -- nor will it be the last.
"We've got a surprise, so we'll just ride it out," Pam Haigh said. "There's not much else we can do."
Burt Myrich boards up a home in preparation for Hurricane Sandy on Saturday, October 27, in Cape May, New Jersey. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has ordered mandatory evacuations of the barrier islands by 4 p.m. Sunday, including the Atlantic City casinos, as Hurricane Sandy threatens the East Coast. 
Bob Kaege takes a measurement while boarding up a shop in Cold Spring, New Jersey, as Marie Jadick speaks on the telephone getting an updated weather report in preparation for Hurricane Sandy. 
Houses are flooded out in the neighborhood of La Javilla in Santo Domingo, the capital of Dominican Republic, on Friday, October 26. 
Residents watch firefighters battle a blaze in Kingston, Jamaica, on Friday. The fire, which destroyed the home, was started by a faulty generator that was triggered when Sandy caused a blackout, firefighters said. 
A motorcyclist rides through a flooded street Friday in Petit-Goâve, Haiti, where three overflowing rivers put homes and farms underwater. 
A satellite image of Hurricane Sandy from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) taken on Friday. 
Corey Hutterli works on securing his sailboat as the outer bands of Hurricane Sandy are felt in Miami Beach, Florida, on Thursday, October 25. 
A woman stands at the entrance of her house surrounded by flood water after heavy rains in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Thursday. 
People walk on a flooded street after Hurricane Sandy hit Port Au Prince, Haiti, on Thursday. 
A woman peers out the door of her house Thursday after it was damaged by Hurricane Sandy in Bayamo, Cuba. 
A man clears debris from his house on Thursday. It was demolished by Hurricane Sandy in Santiago de Cuba. 
Residents in Bayamo, Cuba, try to fix a house damaged by hurricane Sandy on Thursday. 
A U.N. peacekeeper on Thursday stands at the edge of a bridge that was washed away by heavy rains from Hurricane Sandy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 
A house ruined by heavy flooding from Hurricane Sandy sits abandoned in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Thursday. 
Men deal with downed tree branches after heavy rains caused by Hurricane Sandy in Kingston, Jamaica, on Wednesday, October 24. 
Students walk in floodwater from Hurricane Sandy's rain in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Wednesday. 
Citizens of Bayamo, Cuba, buy food on Wednesday, as they prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy. 
Waves hit the coast in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Wednesday. 
Citizens of Bayamo, Cuba, talk on the sidewalk on Wednesday. 
People in Bayamo, Cuba, hold umbrellas as they purchase food Wednesday before the arrival of the hurricane. 
The Hope River begins to swell with rain from approaching Hurricane Sandy in Kingston, Jamaica, on Wednesday. 
Houses sit along the Hope River in Kingston, Jamaica, on Wednesday. 
Jamaicans shelter themselves from the rain of approaching Hurricane Sandy as they walk along the Hope River on Wednesday. 
A satellite view shows Hurricane Sandy's position on Wednesday. 
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