What to Know
- A broken rail in one of the East River tunnels caused LIRR rush-hour delays, cancellations and suspensions Wednesday evening
- There were fears that the broken rail would affect the Thursday morning commute but LIRR announced that the rail was fixed just after 5 a.m.
- Amtrak owns the tunnel, which serves LIRR trains
A broken rail outside one of Amtrak's East River tunnels was fixed early Thursday morning, ensuring a normal morning commute after tens of thousands of Long Island Rail Road riders faced crippling cancellations Wednesday evening.
Crews had been working since Wednesday afternoon to fix the broken rail and there were fears that LIRR commuters would face cancellations and delays on Thursday morning. All repairs were done by Amtrak, which owns the tunnel.
The rail was fixed around 5:15 a.m., shortly after an LIRR spokesman said repairs were close to being finished. Tests were done to make sure the new rail was safe.
More than a dozen peak rush-hour trains were canceled Wednesday evening as crews worked in the tunnel, which connects Manhattan to Long Island.
