LIRR: Weather, track capacity hamper Friday morning service
The Long Island Rail Road ran on or close to schedule Friday morning in the wake of Thursday’s blizzard that walloped the Island, the LIRR said.
Beginning about 7:45 a.m., the railroad had reported scattered systemwide delays of 10 to 15 minutes, this after the cancellation of nine morning rush-hour trains because of capacity limitations at Jamaica, where track inspections resulting from a Wednesday morning derailment still need to be completed.
The railroad said trains were on or close to schedule by about 11 a.m.
The railroad had warned customers about the effect of windy, icy conditions after Thursday’s snowstorm.
The canceled trains were on six lines: Babylon, Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Long Beach, Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma. The systemwide delays were attributed to the “earlier winter storm conditions” and the anticipated reduced track capacity at Jamaica, the railroad said in an alert around 7:45 a.m.
On Friday afternoon, the Long Beach branch was suspended in both directions because of signal trouble at the Reynolds Channel Bridge, the LIRR said.
The LIRR was otherwise mostly running on or close to schedule after delays during the Friday morning commute.
Heavy preparations and light ridership had helped the LIRR during Thursday’s massive snowstorm, transportation officials said.
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
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