Normal LIRR Rush Hour Schedule To Resume Monday Morning
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - Monday's commute for Long Island Rail Road passengers will finally be back to normal, more than a month after superstorm Sandy forced service to be limited.
The busy commuter railroad suffered a big hit when floodwaters rushed into two critical rail tunnels beneath the East River, damaging the signal system used by LIRR and Amtrak trains.
WCBS 880's Monica Miller reports
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Repairs are still ongoing, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that work crews had restored enough of the system for the LIRR to resume a regular rush hour schedule.
That was welcome news for a Port Washington line rider at Penn Station on Sunday morning.
"Maybe if everything starts going back to normal the population will kind of drop," the commuter told WCBS 880's Monica Miller.
Another commuter said he hopes regular service means no more overcrowding.
"I remember taking the train right after Sandy it was really packed. Conductors didn't even come around because it was so packed in there," he told Miller.
Trains have been running for weeks, but service had been limited.
"Our business was really bad," one Penn Station deli owner told Miller.
Cuomo said Amtrak has repaired signals in one of two East River tunnels flooded by Sandy.
"The people, they started working again. That's our regular stop here. Everything's getting back," a smoothie shop manager added.
Signal work on the second East River tunnel is expected to be completed by Christmas.
Are you satisfied with service restoration following Sandy? Sound off in the comments section below...
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