More Service Disruptions For LIRR Riders After Weekend Derailment
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Long Island Rail Road riders are facing more service disruptions for the evening rush after a weekend derailment caused problems for commuters Monday morning.
The LIRR says it anticipates seven trains will canceled during the evening commute on the Babylon, Long Beach, Port Jefferson and Port Washington branches.
At least eight LIRR trains were canceled Monday morning on the Babylon, Hempstead, Port Washington, Ronkonkoma, Far Rockaway and Oyster Bay branches as the MTA worked to repair tracks that were damaged.
The MTA says a non-passenger train was passing through the West Side Yard Saturday night when two middle cars derailed. The cause of the derailment is unclear and the MTA says it is investigating.
But the incident damaged tracks that are needed for trains to travel to and from the yard.
Yolanda Shaw Murphy is one of many commuters who said she learned about the service changes at the last minute.
"Trains are getting canceled and then the trains you get on, you're getting off in Jamaica having to change trains and then the trains you're getting on has no space to even stand," she said. "But it's the Long Island Rail Road so you have to take it with a grain of salt."
"Just now, over the announcement. I didn't even realize that when I first got on board," said Franklin Square resident Chloe Mandoukos.
"They always like to speak of transparency, yet there never seems to be sufficient transparency," said Medford resident John Gallaer.
"Even when they get delays or anything they never mention it," said Queens resident Sakshi Bajaj.
LIRR president Phillip Eng responded to the agency's apparent lack of transparency in informing the public about the derailment, CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis reported.
"My thing was then to make sure that our response, to make sure that I had the appropriate people, the appropriate equipment, the appropriate materials and that we assess the situation," he said. "Once I had that in place and the service planning folks, the transportation folks were working on to review if there were any service impacts, once I had all that, that's when my plan was to release the information, which we did, to our customers with a full service diversion."
Joann Schwendemann's train, which normally rides straight to Penn Station, terminated in Jamaica where MTA workers were waiting on the platform to help people get on their next train.
"Going to work, not happy. Slowed me down and it's very humid out so I'm not a happy camper," she said. "This and then all the changes that have been happening over the summer and prior to that, yeah problem."
Seven lines were already scheduled to have changes Monday morning as new summer timetabled take effect. But some commuters just call all of this business as usual.
"Unfortunately, this is my means of transportation so it is what it is and I think it is always the story for the LIRR," said Mandoukos.
LIRR says they expect a normal morning rush for Tuesday. For more information, click here.
