LIRR shutdown probe to end before winter

The MTA's internal watchdog said he will complete a probe of last week's LIRR evening rush-hour shutdown before winter because some of the same issues that afflicted the railroad and its passengers then may arise during a major snowstorm.

Barry Kluger, inspector general of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said Tuesday that his investigation will "look at all aspects" of the incident Thursday in which a lightning strike near the Jamaica station set off a chain of events that caused the railroad's crucial signal and switching system to malfunction. Thousands of passengers were stranded on trains for hours.

On Friday, the LIRR said its new, $56-million microprocessor-based switching and signal system failed in several ways. The system did not withstand the lightning strike, and it did not help the LIRR quickly diagnose the problem, officials said.

"We need to review the incident. Obviously, the Long Island Rail Road spent a lot of money to put in a new fail-safe system. . . and obviously something didn't work here," Kluger said.

Kluger said his office has been in touch with LIRR president Helena Williams.

LIRR officials "are cooperating fully" with Kluger's probe, which they said will help the agency in "aggressively and comprehensively analyzing the events surrounding Thursday's lightning strike," spokesman Sam Zambuto said in a statement.

LIRR officials plan to meet with representatives from Ansaldo STS, the company based in Genoa, Italy, that designed Jamaica's signal system, concerning its lightning protection, diagnostics and system redundancy, Zambuto said.

SEE PHOTOSLIRR trains and commuters through the years

Officials from Kluger's office have visited LIRR headquarters, requested several documents and begun conducting interviews with members of the LIRR Commuter Council and with riders who were caught in Thursday's commute.

Mark Epstein, chairman of the Commuter Council, said, "It is our fervent hope that between the LIRR's internal investigation, the investigation by the outside consultants hired by the LIRR, and the investigation by the MTA's inspector general's office, that all questions surrounding last week's shutdown will be fully and publicly answered and any recommendations immediately implemented."

Kluger's office last issued a report regarding the LIRR's response to weather-related service disruptions in 2008, after five unplanned disruptions during the winter of 2007.

In that report the inspector general's office criticized the railroad for not providing enough information to customers during a major service disruption, including in the form of emails or through staff members at stations.

The LIRR responded by distributing cellphones with text-messaging ability to crew members and establishing a public information office adjacent to the railroad's nerve center in Jamaica. The LIRR also upgraded its email system to contact customers.

Kluger said Tuesday that the new probe will look at how well the LIRR followed the protocols it adopted after issuance of that report, including its "communication and coordination with passengers."

He said he is aiming to have the investigation done "as quickly as I can" because similar issues could come up during snow season. "These kind of disruptions are not just isolated to lightning strikes," he said.