LIRR service was suspended across much of the Hamptons on Memorial Day weekend. Wale Aliyu reports.
What to Know
- LIRR service was suspended on the Montauk Branch each of Patchogue after a train heading to Montauk sideswiped another train
- Service east of Patchogue is expected to be suspended all day, according to LIRR
- Customers are being advised to use alternate branches or other forms of transportation
Long Island Rail Road service was suspended on the Montauk Branch each of Patchogue early Saturday after a train heading to Montauk sideswiped another train, the agency said.
The disruption limited travel options to the Hamptons at the start of the Memorial Day weekend, often considered the unofficial start of summer.
Limited bus service was offered instead, said MTA spokesman Maxwell Young. The buses were expected to continue Sunday.
The train, which left Penn Station around 1 a.m., sideswiped the other train east of Speonk. Both the Montauk-bound train's engine and the last car of the other train derailed, but no one was injured, according to the agency.
Leaked diesel fuel needed to be cleaned from the tracks before they could be fixed, Young said.
On Sunday, the LIRR said buses were replacing trains in both directions between Patchogue and Hampton Bays. A shuttle is providing service between Hamptons Bay and Montauk, the agency added.
Local
"Customers traveling to the Hamptons/Montauk area may wish to consider alternate branches or alternative means of transportation to avoid transfers," the LIRR tweeted.
The LIRR said it expected service to be restored to the branch on Monday.
The MTA asked Uber, Lyft and taxis to provide extra drivers to the area.
More than 8,600 people took LIRR east of Speonk on Friday, the MTA said. On the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend last year, about 4,000 people took LIRR east of Speonk.
