(Newsday posted the following article by Bill Mason and Beth Whitehouse on its website on July 19.)
NEW YORK — The Long Island Rail Road is operating with 30 minute delays on its Main Line, after service was suspended between Mineola and Jamaica because of downed power lines, the railroad said.
Power lines fell down across the LIRR tracks shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday night near the Merillon Avenue Station in Garden City, said LIRR spokesman Sam Zambuto.
A damaged high tension power line pole adjacent to the track still requires repair, and only one of the two Main Line tracks is in use, the railroad said.
Several trains have been canceled and combined due to storm-related problems. Trains on the Montauk Branch are running with up to 45 minute delays.
The 5:06 a.m. train from Speonk to Penn Station is currently operating approximately 1 hour late. The 6:45 a.m. train from Port Jefferson to Hunterpoint Avenue has been canceled. The 6:57 a.m. train from Farmingdale to Penn Station has been canceled. The 7:28 a.m. train from Cold Spring Harbor to Penn Station has been canceled. The 7:29 a.m. train from Hicksville to Penn Station has been canceled. The 7:40 a.m. train from Ronkonkoma to Flatbush Avenue has been canceled. The 9:18 a.m. train from Port Jefferson to Jamaica has been canceled.
On Tuesday night, some riders were stranded in trains for long periods of time before being let out.
The 10:42 PM train out of Jamaica got as far as Merillon Avenue before it was stopped, and eventually turned back toward Jamaica, riders said.
One of the riders, Mary Ann Balko-Koch, a former New Yorker who currently lives in Austria but is planning on moving back to New York, was in the city looking for an apartment. “I’m annoyed at the fact that they didn’t keep us informed constantly, and I’m amazed that they didn’t have a bus waiting to take us from station to station,” said Balko-Koch.
After being stopped on the tracks for about 45 minutes, the train reversed direction and started back toward Jamaica. About 75 riders got off at Queens Village, telephoned family and friends, or looked for taxis to Long Island.
Rhonda Shape, visiting from South Dakota, and others complained that “There weren’t enough taxis,” and she wanted to know, “Who’s going to foot the bill?” for them.
There were reports on the train of power lines on the tracks, and even down on another train. Shape said, “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”