NEW YORK (WABC) —
The Long Island Rail Road is back on schedule after a hectic Wednesday evening rush. Amtrak crews are working to repair a broken rail found outside one of the East River Tunnels.
Personnel are on the site of the broken rail and a temporary fix has been made to prevent the situation from worsening. Permanent repairs were underway Wednesday night.
Although there were earlier cancellations and delays, trains are now running back on schedule.
Riders are dreading the prospect that delays or cancellations could affect their Thursday morning commute.
When the LIRR cancelled 13 rush hour trains Wednesday afternoon and evening, thousands of commuters piled onto alternative trains making local stops.
It was the result of a broken rail just outside of the tunnels that carries trains in and out of Penn Station.
For several hours, westbound service into Penn Station on Wednesday evening was entirely shutdown.
Billy Joel fans were forced to take subways from Queens to get to his Madison Square Garden Concert.
But most fans said they accounted for the extra time and made it to the show.
East River Tunnels
Amtrak’s East River Tunnels connect between Penn Station and the Sunnyside Yards area in Long Island City, Queens. They are used by all Long Island Rail Road trains to and from Penn Station, as well as Amtrak trains to and from New England, and out-of-service NJ Transit trains headed to or from Sunnyside Yard.
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