MTA truck damages LIRR railway bridge

The Long Island Rail Road suspended service for a time Thursday morning between Babylon and Patchogue after an MTA truck struck a railroad bridge abutment in Patchogue, officials said.

Railroad officials confirmed the truck belongs to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the railroad.

Suffolk County police said the truck ran into a bridge abutment on Blue Point Avenue at 9:11 a.m. There were no serious injuries, police said.

The 9:29 a.m. train from Patchogue to Babylon was forced to back up into the Patchogue station after the crash, and passengers had to use bus service for the trip, a railroad spokeswoman said. The railroad had also tentatively canceled the 10:26 a.m. train from Babylon to Patchogue.

Railroad officials said engineers gave the structure a clean bill of health at 10:42 a.m. and said the bridge had been reopened to train traffic. An engineer must examine any bridge after a vehicle strike to assess potential structural damage under the law.

The train runs on a single track through the area, officials said.

Officials said the 10:26 a.m. from Babylon to Patchogue was 20 minutes late, and the westbound train will also be delayed.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. The accident remains under investigation.