LIRR Back To Normal For Monday Commute

MYFOXNY.COM - While schedule changes affected the Long Island Railroad during the weekend, all repairs and tests have been completed and normal service will be restored in time for the Monday morning rush.

LIRR officials said that testing procedures had been undertaken during the weekend to make sure that no wiring remained damaged by Monday's electrical fire that spawned train cancellations and delays on train lines this past week.

The extent of the work involved 300 separate tests which were completed as of 4 p.m. on Sunday. The LIRR - the nation's busiest commuter railroad - operates more than 700 trains into and out of its Manhattan and Brooklyn terminals on a typical weekday.

"I appreciate the challenges our customers faced during the past week and I thank them for their patience during what has been a difficult time," said LIRR President Helena E. Williams.

"I would also like to thank the hundreds of railroad employees who worked around the clock to put the damaged signal and switch system back together while keeping service going and assisting our customers throughout the week. Once again, they demonstrated their dedication and commitment to our customers."

A fire on Monday damaged a signal tower east of Jamaica, where 10 of 11 LIRR branches converge. The damaged switch sparked canceled trains and in some cases added hours to the commute of homebound customers on Long Island.

The switching and signal system in Jamaica is due for a major upgrade and modernization in late October and early November when a $56 million computerized control center will go online, replacing three existing signal towers that currently control some 155 switches in the Jamaica station area.

The Jamaica upgrade is part of a $150 million effort to upgrade the LIRR's switch and signal system at key areas of the railroad. Two other key switching areas - one near Bellerose and one in Valley Stream - have already been modernized during the last two years as part of the overall project.

For the latest information including schedule updates visit the MTA LIRR website.