Long Island Rail Road commuters heading back to work after a snowbound weekend were greeted with long delays and packed trains Monday as the railroad continued the exhaustive task of digging out from Saturday’s powerful blizzard.
The news for the evening commute may do little to assuage frustrated commuters who had rough start to the work week.
The LIRR announced Monday afternoon that train serviced had been restored on the Port Washington branch. Still, four other branches remain suspended: Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Long Beach and West Hempstead. The LIRR noted that the suspensions were due to the “on-going effects of this weekend’s blizzard.”
Diesel service was also restored in Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson and Montauk branches, as well as between Greenport and Ronkonkoma.
“Please allow extra travel time and expect delays and crowding,” the LIRR said.
There is still no service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, which means Islanders fans with tickets to Monday night’s game will have to take an alternate route to the Barclays Center. The railroad recommended fans take LIRR trains to Penn Station, where railroad tickets will be honored on the No. 2 or 3 Brooklyn-bound trains.
As the blizzard walloped the region Saturday, officials decided to suspend service on all lines beginning at 4 p.m. Officials had said crews would work throughout the day Sunday with the goal of having all branches fully running by the morning.
The LIRR has encouraged riders to visit www.mta.info for information on suspended branches.
(Photo credit: MTA New York City Transit / Leonard Wiggins)
