LIRR service returns to normal after Thanksgiving disruption

<p>Long Island Rail Road service was running as usual by Friday evening after a power problem in Valley Stream caused widespread delays and cancellations on Thanksgiving.</p>

News 12 Staff

Nov 23, 2018, 12:54 PM

Updated 2,213 days ago

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Long Island Rail Road service was running as usual by Friday evening after a power problem in Valley Stream caused widespread delays and cancellations on Thanksgiving.
An electrical wire fell onto the tracks in Valley Stream Thursday morning, and affected the Babylon, Far Rockaway, Long Beach and West Hempstead branches. Service disruptions lasted through Friday morning.
PSEG Long Island says its crews had finished fixing the issue by around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. But according to the LIRR, the damage had already been done.
A spokesperson for the railroad tells News 12 that the downed wire caused extensive harm to the signal system in multiple locations. The LIRR says crews responded immediately and worked around the clock in the bitter cold to fix the problem.
Still, some passengers are asking why those repairs took so long to complete. And with fare hikes expected to go into effect next year, many are wondering what can be done to make service more reliable.
After service was fully restored, the LIRR says crews stayed at the scene to make permanent repairs to the damaged infrastructure.