MTA: LIRR service may not be restored until Tuesday

Long Island Rail Road service may not be restored until later Monday or even Tuesday until winds die down, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Janno Lieber said Monday morning.

Lieber during an appearance on PIX11 News said the MTA is eyeing a restoration of LIRR service "later today or into tomorrow," and defended the decision to shut down the largest commuter railroad in North America.

"We did the right thing. ... Everybody knows on Long Island, especially out east, that this is no day to be moving around. They’re really taking a heavy hit," Lieber said.

Lieber said MTA officials will decide on a plan to restore railroad service later Monday, and that the priority is to "make sure we can operate real service" by Tuesday.

Appearing on several morning news shows Monday, Lieber said the MTA is waiting for winds to die down before restoring LIRR service, which shut down at 1 a.m. today.

Lieber acknowledged that the Long Island Rail Road has been hit harder than other MTA agencies, including New York City subways, buses, and the Metro-North Railroad, all of which continue to operate while the LIRR remains suspended.

"We want to see when the winds die down, make sure that the drifting is under control before we make an exact determination about when to restore the Long Island Rail Road, but the planning for that has begun," Lieber told WNBC/4.

 At the risk of stranding trains with passengers on board in the middle of the storm, the LIRR on Sunday afternoon announced a preemptive shutdown of the rail system — a measure not taken in four years.

Even with no trains running, Lieber said LIRR crews and snow fighting equipment operated through the night "working hard on the interlockings to make sure everything is going to be in shape when the go-time comes."

Lieber added that the MTA's Metro-North Railroad is operating on an hourly schedule, and buses are running in the city with delays. The subway system is largely operating normally, with a few express lines running on a local schedule.

"Tip of the hat to the Long Island Rail Road for folks who did an orderly shutdown at 1 a.m. and are already starting to plan the resumption of service," Lieber said earlier on WABC-TV/7.

Newsday's Peter Gill contributed to this story

Check back for updates on this developing story.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

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.