Subway trains can resume rumbling between Manhattan and Brooklyn as soon as electricity returns to two newly dry tunnels, New York officials said Thursday evening, and NJ Transit said it would send limited service into New York's Penn Station Friday.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the Joralemon and Rutgers tubes, which carry the Nos. 4/5 and F subway lines, respectively, could be relaunched just two hours after power is restored.

"We...