Midday LIRR trains affected by track checks

Buses will replace some midday Long Island Rail Road trains between Huntington and Port Jefferson on Thursday as a special, bright yellow rail car checks the tracks for defects, the railroad said.

Three eastbound trains will be affected, with riders arriving at their destinations up to 26 minutes later than usual, LIRR said. Three westbound trains will also be affected, and passengers should expect longer rides of up to 60 minutes, the railroad said.

For eastbound passengers, the 10:05 a.m. and 1:03 p.m. trains from Hicksville will end in Huntington, where buses will complete their trips, the LIRR said. Also, the 11:50 a.m. train from Huntington to Port Jefferson will be canceled and replaced with bus service.

For westbound riders, the 10:10 a.m. and 1:10 p.m. trains from Port Jefferson to Huntington will be canceled. Customers between Port Jefferson and Greenlawn will board buses up to 16 minutes later than normal for Hicksville. At Hicksville, customers will transfer for trains going west.

Also, the 11:37 a.m. train from Port Jefferson to Hicksville will begin its route at Huntington at its regular time. Riders between Port Jefferson and Greenlawn may board buses that will be up to 16 minutes later than normal for Hicksville. At Hicksville, customers will transfer for train service west.

The yellow Sperry Rail Car, used for specialized track inspection, has ultrasonic and induction test equipment and is used twice a year to inspect about 500 miles of track, LIRR said. It's designed to detect internal rail defects not readily visible to the eye, the railroad said.

Defects found will be corrected immediately by a crew of track maintenance workers, LIRR said.

The track inspections and bus replacements began Wednesday.