Wantagh broken rail cancels dozens of LIRR trains on Babylon branch
Crews are currently working to fix the rail near the Wantagh station.
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A broken rail near the Wantagh train station canceled at least a dozen Long Island Rail Road trains on the Babylon branch during the Friday morning rush, disrupting commutes across the South Shore.
Equipment problems led to the cancellation of two additional trains.
Commuters told News 12 they again struggled to get to work Friday morning as they waited in cold conditions for delayed trains.
“It’s very cold. I was rushing to get the train, the one I don’t see on the screen,” Fernanda Leon of Levittown said.
The disruptions marked the latest in a series of problems for the LIRR this week. On Tuesday, the railroad blamed cold weather for delays and cancellations.
On Wednesday, every branch but two was affected, largely because of weather-related switch problems, equipment shortages and a fire west of Jamaica.
Some commuters in Wantagh said they were late for work Friday morning.
“Get off at Jamaica, wait for a Penn Station train and then get to work. Hopefully we’ll get there. Not on time,” Josephine Ferruccio of Wantagh said.
Other branches facing delays Friday morning included Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma and Montauk because of equipment and switch issues.
News 12 contacted the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for comment and was told LIRR President Rob Free was not available.
MTA urging commuters to check the Train Time app.
