As train delays, cancellations and gridlock set off by a small derailment at Pennsylvania Station stretched into a third day on Wednesday, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey remained largely silent while his constituents screamed. In fact, the governor was far from where the chaos was unfolding, choosing to go to Atlantic City to celebrate the opening of a casino while travelers vented their frustration on social media, on radio call-in shows and on packed platforms.

The derailment on Monday of a New Jersey Transit train did not just cripple New Jersey Transit; it also disrupted service on Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road, the two other rail systems that share Penn Station. But it has been riders of New Jersey Transit, the nation’s third-busiest railroad, who have endured the worst travel experiences.

Along with anger, many riders said someone had to be responsible for the missed hours of work, the lost wages, the extra costs from extended day care, the wasted — and increasingly expensive — gas. And many of them set their sights on Mr. Christie.

“He’s nowhere to be found, while literally hundreds of thousands of his constituents are struggling and businesses are losing money,” said Dave Geller, 44, who had to work from his home in Maplewood on Wednesday. “At some point the buck has to stop where? You’re the man in charge.”