Queens commuters, beware: This morning’s Amtrak derailment near Penn Station is going to snarl the evening commute on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), it was announced.
The MTA advised LIRR customers that they should expect cancellations and delays for all trains out of Penn Station for Friday evening’s rush hour. This is due to limited track capacity. Normally, the LIRR uses nine departure tracks (Tracks 13-21), but the Amtrak derailment has closed five of those tracks off for LIRR trains; they will now be sharing Tracks 18 through 21.
The derailment occurred in the North River Tunnel when an Amtrak train sideswiped a New Jersey Transit train; all passengers on board the Amtrak train were safely removed, according to CNN.
The LIRR advises travelers in Manhattan who plan on heading home via the LIRR to either leave before 4 p.m. or delay their departure until after 8 p.m. tonight. They may also take the subway to Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, where LIRR service is available. This will help reduce overcrowding on board trains as well as departure delays.
A number of service cancellations have already been announced on the Babylon, Long Beach, Port Jefferson, Port Washington and Ronkonkoma branches. Click the branch names for further information.
For updated information, visit www.mta.info, call 511 or follow the LIRR’s Twitter account.
