LIRR Babylon Branch Delays, Cancelations Due to Amtrak Derailment

A derailment of an Amtrak train in one of the East River tunnels on Sunday has caused significant delays and cancelations on Monday morning on the MTA Long Island Rail Road Babylon branch, which runs through Lindenhurst.

And the derailment has affected service system-wide. As a result of Sunday’s Amtrak derailment, about a quarter of the LIRR trains that normally head into Penn Station during the morning rush have been “canceled, terminated or diverted” on Monday, said LIRR officials. Service snafus may stretch into the evening rush, too, they added.

According to the MTA’s LIRR website, customers heading into Manhattan Monday should allow extra travel time and expect scattered 10 to 20 minute delays. Babylon branch customers should know that there are 10 to 20 minute delays into and out of Penn Station, according to the LIRR.

LIRR officials said, “Amtrak is in the process of re-railing the four coaches that derailed because of a broken rail in the tunnel.”

Both LIRR and Metro-North crews are assisting Amtrak to re-rail the locomotive and four coaches that derailed. “Once the equipment is clear, repairs will be made to third rail, running rail and overhead catenary wires that were damaged by the derailment,” officials said.

Furthermore, they added, “The track and signal will need to be inspected and repaired before use of the tunnel can be restored for train service.”

Thirteen trains have be canceled outright at their eastern origination point, while another six trains were scheduled to operate normally but terminate at Jamaica. There, customers were able to board other trains for Penn Station or take an E train to Manhattan. The MTA also said New York City Transit would honor LIRR tickets on the subway.

In addition, another three trains were diverted to Brooklyn and one train was diverted to Hunterspoint.

Cancelations on the Babylon branch included the 6:42 a.m. train from Babylon, 6:14 a.m. train from Massapequa Park, 7:48 a.m. train from Wantagh and 8:10 a.m. train from Freeport.

Those Babylon line trains canceled at Jamaica included the 8:35 a.m. train from Babylon, the 7:29 a.m. train from Freeport and 7:43 a.m. train from Merrick.

The LIRR said the 7:37 a.m. train from Babylon would continue to Penn and not be canceled at Jamaica as originally planned.

Diversions of Babylon branch trains to Atlantic Terminal included the 5:56 a.m. Babylon train, 6:57 a.m. train from Freeport and 8:25 a.m. train from Freeport.

The LIRR is urging customers to check on service before heading to train stations by monitoring the MTA website, listening to the latest news and traffic reports and/or signing up for free a-alerts that provide the latest train information direct from the LIRR train operations center.

Customers can also contact the LIRR's Travel Information Center at 718-217-5477 (718-217-LIRR). Hearing impaired customers can use their preferred relay service provider or the free 711 relay to reach LIRR at 718-217-5477.