Nov 25, 2008 12:07 pm US/Eastern
LIRR Troubles Continue, But For How Much Longer?
CBS 2 HD Has The List Of All Train Routes Impacted By Continuing Repairs Following Derailments
QUEENS (CBS) ―
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LIRR train derailments have New Yorkers demanding they be treated better considering how much additional money they are being asked to fork over during these trying economic times.
CBS
MTA Long Island Rail Road customers are being advised to anticipate schedule changes that include canceled trains and delays on Tuesday as a result of a derailment that occurred in Jamaica on Sunday.
Over 200 LIRR employees have been working on the three train cars on the west end of Jamaica Station. The work also includes repair to the damaged switches and track caused by the derailment. Currently, three tracks remain out of service due to the accident.
"We are grateful to our customers for their patience during this time," said LIRR President Helena Williams. "The Monday evening rush hour went smoothly under the circumstances. Our LIRR crews have been working nonstop to repair damaged rail and switches so that we can resume normal operations as soon as is safely possible. We are making progress and will keep our customers updated on our efforts."
The Tuesday morning rush service plan includes cancellation of 12 westbound rush trains. As a result, there will be residual delays from added station stops and not all scheduled connections will be available at Jamaica Station to Penn Station, Flatbush Avenue-Brooklyn, Hunterspoint Avenue and Long Island City.
The big question will be whether the track and signal work will be done in time for Thanksgiving, a very busy day for the LIRR.
"It's too soon to say, taking it one rush hour at a time," said Susan McGowan, a LIRR spokeswoman.
It was standing room only on a train from Rockville Centre into Penn Station. Day two of cancelled trains because of the Jamaica Station derailment and the platforms for trains heading east to Nassau and Suffolk were almost as crowded as Monday, but as CBS 2's Magee Hickey found out, there wasn't the same level of anger and frustration:
On Monday, a day after the derailment, one passenger let their anger out on a CBS 2 camera. "It's been horrible. I can't believe this mess. I just came back from Texas, couldn't get a train where I live."
But on Tuesday, passenger Martin Lenihan was much more restrained. "This is not chaos. I have seen chaos before. This is not it. Accidents happen. They move a lot of trains through here. This is not the first time."
The same ten trains were canceled heading into the city Tuesday with even more limited service and canceled trains heading East.
For the first time since Sunday's derailment, train cars were finally off the tracks. Federal investigators were still on the scene though, trying to determine what caused the LIRR's worst derailment in 15 years, which will cost the belt tightening MTA at least $1 million to repair.
Traditionally, there are $40,000 more LIRR riders on Thanksgiving, compared to a normal weekend day.
LIRR station personnel will be available at Jamaica to assist customers with service information. The modified plan also includes service changes for the eastbound morning rush – in particular nine of the 15 eastbound reverse peak trains from Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn will be canceled.
Westbound morning peak service:
The following westbound AM Rush trains will be canceled Tuesday morning in the modified service plan:
* 6:25 a.m. train from Hicksville, scheduled to arrive in Penn Station at 7:11 a.m.
*6:26 a.m. train from Massapequa Park, scheduled to arrive in Penn Station at 7:22 a.m.
* 6:57 a.m. train from Freeport, scheduled to arrive in Penn Station at 7:40 a.m.
* 7:23 a.m. train from Hempstead, scheduled to arrive in Flatbush Avenue at 8:20 a.m.
* 7:29 a.m. train from Freeport, scheduled to arrive in Penn Station at 8:13 a.m.
* 7:40 a.m. train from Ronkonkoma, scheduled to arrive in Flatbush Avenue at 9:01 a.m.
* 7:43 a.m. train from Merrick, scheduled to arrive in Penn Station at 8:31 a.m.
* 8:03 a.m. train from Long Beach, scheduled to arrive in Penn Station at 8:54 a.m.
* 8:03 a.m. train from Valley Stream, scheduled to arrive in Penn Station at 8:42 a.m.
* 8:38 a.m. train from Long Beach, scheduled to arrive in Flatbush Avenue at 9:26 a.m.
The following trains will terminate in Jamaica Tuesday morning:
* 7:12 a.m. train from Hempstead, scheduled to arrive in Penn Station at 8:03 a.m.
7:16 a.m. train from West Hempstead, scheduled to arrive in Flatbush Ave. at 8:03 a.m.
Eastbound (Reverse Peak) Service:
LIRR eastbound, reverse peak service from Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn will be extremely limited -- with one passenger train departing the Brooklyn terminal per hour. Customers should consider using Penn Station reverse peak service, which is expected to operate at regularly scheduled times. However, customers should anticipate delays en route.
The following reverse peak trains will operate from Flatbush Avenue on Tuesday morning:
* 5:29 a.m. train from Flatbush Avenue, scheduled to arrive in Long Beach at 6:22 a.m.
* 5:52 a.m. train from Flatbush Avenue, scheduled to arrive in West Hempstead at 6:38 a.m.
* 6:48 a.m. train from Flatbush Avenue, scheduled to arrive in Long Beach at 7:36 a.m.
* 7:51 a.m. train from Flatbush Avenue, scheduled to arrive in Hempstead at 8:38 a.m.
* 8:37 a.m. train from Flatbush Avenue, scheduled to arrive in Hempstead at 9:26 a.m.
* 9:36 a.m. train from Flatbush Avenue, scheduled to arrive in Hempstead at 10:28 a.m.
Service Updates:
The LIRR will continue to update this Service Advisory as track repairs are made. Customers should monitor news media reports and the LIRR's web site (www.mta.info/lirr) for updates to this morning rush modified service plan and information regarding afternoon and evening train service.
For up-to-date travel service information, customers can also contact the LIRR's 24-hour Travel Information Center in Suffolk County at 631-231-LIRR, in Nassau County at 516-822-LIRR or in New York City at 718-217-LIRR. The Travel Information Center's TDD telephone number for the hearing impaired is 718-558-3022.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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