Weather Snags LIRR Lines Across System; Penn Station Briefly Shut Down
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Long Island Rail Road commuters were stuck with a long and miserable commute due to storms and signal problems Monday evening.
Most service had been restored by 9 p.m. But at one point, the problems on the railroad forced officials to shut down all the entrances of Penn Station for some time due to overcrowding.
LIRR service throughout the system was halted between Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica late in the Monday evening rush.
Meanwhile, the Port Washington and West Hempstead branches of the LIRR were completely shut down for some time Monday night. Weather-related signal problems were reported on the West Hempstead Branch, while the Port Washington Branch was halted due to a fallen tree east of Flushing, Queens.
Service was also limited on the Long Beach branch due to a fallen tree.
Frustrated commuters started posting pictures to social media of crowds waiting outside on the sidewalk.
Inside Penn Station, the waiting area filled up with people as the message boards spelled out the bad news that all LIRR service was temporarily suspended, CBS2's Valerie Castro reported.
Even things down on the train platforms took a turn for the worse when rain began pouring through the roof. Some of the train cars themselves even began to fill up with water.
Travelers said it all seems to be par for the course when it comes to problems with the LIRR.
"Just systematic LIRR delays, once a month," said Michael Hakimian, who was headed to Great Neck. "It's what you expect in your ridership. You factor it in with your monthly commute at this point."
"Very, very crowded, very tense -- a little tense at times," said Emanuel Voyiaziakis of Long Beach, "because I almost saw a fight break out over there."
And as to how long he was stuck waiting, Hakimian said, "I could probably walk home faster than this."
Severe storms brought floods and dangerous lightning to the area Monday night.
