01-08-2025
LIRR restores service after flooding halted Port Washington Branch
The Long Island Rail Road has restored service on the Port Washington Branch after yesterday's severe flooding brought trains to a halt.
Friday morning's commute got off to a shaky start as screens at the Bayside station showed canceled trains to Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal until about 6 a.m.
Once the MTA was able to get service back on track, the sound of trains pulling into the station was music to commuters' ears.
"Yeah, we're in good shape, and back to work. It's the most exciting thing to happen to Bayside," Dan Sheffer said.
Sheffer's attitude was a far cry from what many riders expressed on Thursday, when many were dealing with the extreme weather.
Yesterday, the FDNY was called to help commuters who were trapped inside a train just outside Bayside, where flooding blocked much of the line. The heavy rail pelted the Clearview Expressway, where at least three vehicles got stuck, and other parts of Queens.
"I was worried about the people inside. I was hoping they were gonna get out," Brie Taveras, of Auburndale, said.
When it came to transit, many couldn't help but think about what a challenging week it has been in the New York City area. In addition to flooding, at least two power outages impacted several subway lines.
"The big picture has been good ... This is not the 'summer of hell,'" MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said at a Friday news conference. "What we've experienced is the challenge of having really old infrastructure and being subject to the water that comes from all over, down onto tracks and hitting the subway and commuter rail system ... So we've got to fix that. We have to work with our partners in municipalities, especially the City of New York, to keep the water out so we don't have these impacts on transit."
"The water was up to the platform here at Bayside and just east of Bayside, as you go to Great Neck, there was another flooding condition," LIRR President Rob Free said. "I just want to emphasize, as well, that our system is resilient. It's constructed in a way that can accommodate water that emulates and accumulates on our property. But when you introduce storm runoff water from the surrounding areas -- thousands of gallons rushing onto our property -- it cannot keep up with it."
It's smooth sailing for now, and riders are hoping it stays that way.
