News: Problems for LIRR Commuters
(Long Island, N.Y.) A derailed Amtrak train has caused a long list of issues for the Long Island Rail Road. The incident occurred yesterday evening when a broken rail led the train to be derailed. The derailed train later blocked one of the four East River tunnels, causing over twenty-three cancellations for the westbound LIRR.
Workers claim to be dealing with re-railing the Amtrak train which contained no passengers at the time of the incident. Between four and six cars and coaches were derailed, but no injuries were sustained by the crew onboard. Nonetheless, cancellations are expected to carry on for LIRR trains until Wednesday or Thursday at the earliest.
Rush hour delays were experienced from Penn Station lasting up to twenty minutes. Penn Station, known as the busiest station in the country, canceled twenty of its eastbound trains. The twenty-three canceled this morning were in Queens and Brooklyn, and included the heavily-used Jamaica Station.
The LIRR notified commuters that westbound trains after four-thirty this afternoon, which are considered off-peak, will terminate at the Jamaica station. Users of the Port Washington line will be let off at Woodside Station. To continue on to Manhattan, New York City Transit subways will honor LIRR tickets on the No. 7 line.
In addition to these changes, users of the Far Rockaway lines will all depart from Atlantic terminal instead of Penn Station. The LIRR claims that a reduced schedule will be in effect for the afternoon rush hour during today’s commute. Workers estimate that at least a quarter of LIRR trains have been affected by the Amtrak train’s derailment.
Emergency repairs caused delays during the rush hour commute about a month prior to yesterday’s incident. The LIRR has also been known to delay commuters for weather-related obstacles in recent months. Some daily users of the LIRR claim that the frequent list of repeated delays date back to August of last year.
Yesterday’s incident also comes after a recent accident involving a PATH-train crash in New Jersey. The crash resulted in over thirty passenger injuries, most of which were considered minor. The commuter rail was headed for New Jersey when it impacted the bumpers at the end of the tracks as it was pulling into Hoboken Station.
The incident occurred at roughly eight-thirty in the morning. The injured passengers, most of whom suffered from neck injuries, were taken to Hoboken University Medical Center. Witnesses claim that the train had been screeching prior to impact and that the crash occurred suddenly. New Jersey Officials have already employed a Safety Board to conduct a thorough investigation of the accident.
The LIRR’s website advises commuters to allow for extra travel time and to continually check for updates. Traffic broadcasts and radio reports will be given information on the status of LIRR trains. The website also suggests that commuters sign up for the free service of E-alerts, which provide information directly from the LIRR Train Operations Center. Users are welcome to contact the LIRR’s Travel Information Center for additional requests.
