LIRR disrupted by report of kids on tracks

A report of children on the Long Island Rail Road tracks between Hicksville and Babylon brought train traffic there to a complete stop Friday evening, a railroad spokesman said.

No children were found during the initial investigation, but the possibility disrupted some commuter traffic, according to Aaron Donovan, an LIRR spokesman.

The 4:28 p.m. train out of Long Island City, due in to Patchogue at 6:14 p.m., with about 200 passengers, was stopped at 5:48 p.m. after a member of that train's crew reported seeing two children on the tracks ahead, Donovan said.

That train was delayed there until after 7 p.m., when the police investigation and inspection of the tracks ahead allowed it to continue to Babylon.

The 5:09 p.m. train from Penn Station, due in at Speonk at 7:13 p.m., with about 1,200 passengers, was initially stopped behind the earlier train for about half an hour, and then backed up to Jamaica, Donovan said. That train was then rerouted around the closed track area.

A westbound train, the 6:30 p.m. train from Patchogue to Babylon was canceled.