NY: Newly Broken Rail Adds to LIRR Delays

For the second consecutive morning, Long Island Rail Road commuters faced cancellations, diversions and delays as crews worked to repair extensive damage to track caused by a derailment near Forest Hills, Queens, Monday night.

Then, a new broken rail near the East New York station Wednesday morning lead to more than 20-minute delays to trains headed to and from Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, a railroad spokesman said. Some of the newly affected trains were already being diverted because of the derailment on Monday night, spokesman Aaron Donovan said.

Officials could not immediately say if the newly broken rail was weather-related.

But Donovan said it had taken one of the two tracks through the area out of service for the morning rush hour, though, unlike the damage caused by the derailment, it appears the disruption will not affect the evening rush hour.

The latest incident comes one day after the railroad announced it would cancel 11 morning rush-hour trains to Penn Station, diverting another five to Atlantic Terminal while terminating four others at Jamaica. The railroad, which had earlier said it hoped those measures would not be needed for the evening rush Tuesday, then announced it would not only be forced to implement the altered schedule for the evening rush but announced the morning and evening changes would continue through Friday.

Out of its usual 144 morning trains, the LIRR canceled 11 trains Tuesday, diverted five others to Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, and had four others terminate early at Jamaica. The evening cancellations included three trains on the Babylon line, and one each on the Port Jefferson, Long Beach, Far Rockaway and Port Washington lines. One Port Jefferson branch train that usually originates at Hunterspoint Avenue originated at Jamaica.

The LIRR announced the following service changes, expected to last through Friday.

BABYLON BRANCH:

The 5:56 a.m. train from Babylon, due Penn at 6:59 a.m., will be diverted to Atlantic Terminal.

The 6:14 a.m. train from Massapequa Park, due Penn at 7:08 a.m., is canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 6:12 a.m. train from Babylon to Penn, which will make an added stop at Rockville Centre; and the 6:26 a.m. train from Massapequa Park to Penn.

The 6:31 a.m. train from Lindenhurst, due Penn at 7:33 a.m., is canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 6:32 a.m. train from Babylon, due Penn at 7:37 a.m.

The 6:57 a.m. train from Freeport due Penn at 7:40 a.m. is canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 6:56 a.m. train from Wantagh due Penn at 7:43 a.m., making added stops at Freeport, Baldwin and Rockville Centre.

The 7:29 a.m. train from Freeport, due Penn at 8:13 a.m., is canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 7:26 a.m. train from Wantagh, due Penn at 8:16 a.m., making an added stop at Freeport; and by the 7:10 a.m. train from Babylon, due Penn at 8:20 a.m., which will make added stops at Baldwin and Rockville Centre.

The 7:48 a.m. train from Wantagh, due Penn at 8:40 a.m., is canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 7:29 a.m. train from Babylon, due Atlantic Terminal at 8:43 a.m.; and the 8:10 a.m. train from Freeport due in Penn at 8:50 a.m.

The 7:37 a.m. train from Babylon, due Penn at 8:48 a.m., will be canceled at Jamaica. Customers will be accommodated by the next westbound train to Penn.

The 8:10 a.m. train from Freeport, due Penn at 8:50 a.m., is canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 8:25 a.m. train from Freeport, due Penn at 9:08 a.m., and by the 7:45 a.m. train from Babylon, due Penn at 8:56 a.m., which will make added stops at Freeport, Baldwin and Rockville Centre.

The 8:25 a.m. train from Freeport, due Penn at 9:08 a.m., will be diverted to Atlantic Terminal.

FAR ROCKAWAY BRANCH:

The 8:03 a.m. train from Valley Stream, due Penn at 8:42 a.m., is canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 7:49 a.m. train from Far Rockaway, due Penn at 8:42 a.m., making added stops at Valley Stream, Rosedale, Laurelton, Locust Manor, Kew Gardens, Forest Hills and Woodside.