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LIRR Train Derailment Still Causing Chaotic Mess For LI Commuters

Written by Andrew Cohen  |  16. September 2015

Yesterday's freight train derailment between Hicksville and Westbury caused hundred of feet of damage to tracks. Earlier this afternoon, the MTA has announced that they are working diligently so these repairs can be completed before the madness of the rush hour begins said the MTA LIRR in a press release.
 
This derailment is causing major delays across Long Island. During the mid-day period, westbound customers of the Port Jefferson Branch and Ronkonkoma Branch will board buses at Hicksville for transportation to Mineola, where they will transfer to trains for continued travel westbound.
 
In a statement released earlier this afternoon, LIRR President Patrick Nowakowski was quoted as saying “Rerailing the derailed train and repairing our track is a very tricky operation with many uncertainties and risks. Our goal is to restore regular service by the evening rush hour, but at this point it is an aspiration, not a guarantee. Until the work is completed, we will not be able to say with certainty whether we’ll be able to restore rush hour service. We urge all our customers to continue to monitor our digital media channels and the news media for the latest updates.”
 
Eastbound customers of those two branches will board buses at Mineola. The buses will take them to Hicksville where they will transfer to trains for continued travel to points east.
 
Customers looking to travel to Carle Place or Westbury will also be able to catch buses at Mineola or Hicksville. Customers looking to travel from Carle Place or Westbury will be able to catch buses at both of those stations.
 
With a goal of restoring full train service for today’s evening rush hour, the LIRR is suspending train service in both directions between Hicksville and Mineola today starting at 10:30 a.m. The railroad’s objective is to restore train service by the evening rush hour. But the railroad cautions that full restoration may not be possible by that time.
 
For the latest MTA LIRR Service Updates, visit LongIsland.com's Long Island Rail Road Schedule Center, and for commuters who decided to drive into work today, head over to LongIsland.com's Traffic Center for the latest Traffic Updates, and check out our Traffic Camera Pages for a bird's eye look at local road conditions.

[Source: MTA LIRR.]

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