Port Washington LIRR line resumes after vehicle hit, MTA says

Long Island Rail Road service on the Port Washington Branch was restored after it was suspended in both directions for about 50 minutes Saturday afternoon when a train and a vehicle collided in Queens, an MTA spokesman said.

A vehicle was struck by an eastbound “patrol train” — a nonpassenger train that clears the tracks of snow and ice in inclement weather — at Little Neck Parkway around 12:05 p.m., said Shams Tarek, the agency spokesman. No injuries were reported, he said.

MTA Police determined that the safety gates at the crossing were operational at the time of the accident and are investigating how the car got onto the tracks, Tarek said.

Trains in both directions starting running again as of 12:50 p.m., Tarek said. Delays up to 10 minutes should be expected in both directions as only one track is operating between Bayside and Great Neck.