Broken rail fixed on Ronkonkoma line

Long Island Rail Road service between Central Islip and Ronkonkoma has been restored, according to the company's website.

However, commuters on the Ronkonkoma line should "expect residual delays," according to an LIRR Twitter message.

The broken rail had halted service in late afternoon between Central Islip and Ronkonkoma, snarling the Friday evening rush. Commuters between those two stations were bused.

LIRR spokesman Salvatore Arena said a repair crew was at work by 5 p.m. Broken rails are a typical problem during cold, snowy weather, Arena said.

The mishap comes at the end of a trying week for commuters that began with a blizzard that suspended all train service on Sunday night. The disruptions lasted through Wednesday afternoon.

The LIRR's most lingering challenge was removing snow and ice from its electrified third rail so that trains could draw enough power to keep moving.