NEW YORK (AP) — People can now use their credit cards again to buy tickets at most Long Island and Metro-North commuter rail stations throughout the New York metropolitan region.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Salvatore Arena says LIRR and Metro-North ticket vending machines were only taking cash payments for several hours Sunday after a computer network went down about 9 a.m.

Technicians were able to restore LIRR credit-card sales about 2:30 p.m.

Metro-North’s machines were restored about 6:30 p.m.

Metro-North automatic payment machines also broke down in most stations on Friday. Arena says that malfunction was unrelated to Sunday’s.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)