LIRR Schedules Buses, Shuttles To, From Hamptons After Derailment

EAST END, NY — Long Island Rail Road officials have offered alternatives for passengers through Sunday as work to repair a derailment that cut off all service on the Montauk line east of Patchogue continued.

According to a post by the MTA LIRR on social media, service will run in three segments through Sunday, both east and westbound: The train between Penn Station and Patchogue, a bus bridge between Patchogue and Hampton Bays, and a shuttle train between Hampton Bays and Montauk; the shuttle trains will await the buses.

"Customers traveling to the Hamptons/Montauk may wish to consider alternate branches or alternate means of transportation to avoid transfers," the LIRR said. "Re-railing is underway as we continue to evaluate the extent of the damage and investigate the cause of this incident."

(Lisa Finn)

Memorial Day weekend plans may have come to a screeching halt for some after a derailment led to the suspension of Long Island Rail Road service east of Patchogue, according to MTA LIRR officials.

According to a LIRR media representative, there is no service on the Montauk line east of Patchogue likely for the remainder of Saturday, at least.

Service was interrupted after a Montauk bound train that left Penn Station at 1:09 a.m., due in Montauk at 4:09 a.m., sideswiped a non-revenue train east of Speonk as part of a passing maneuver, according to the LIRR. The non-revenue train was on a side track, and the Montauk train was traveling at approximately 30 mph.

(Lisa Finn)

According to the Eastport Fire Department, the collision led to a "large fuel spill and derailment of both trains." Environmental crews arrived to begin the offload of the remaining fuel and cleanup of the spill, the Eastport Fire Department said.

The engine of the Montauk train and the last car of the non-revenue train derailed. While there were 32 passengers on the Montauk train, there were no injuries to passengers or LIRR employees, the LIRR said.

While the MTA LIRR is evaluating damage to tracks, initial indication is that it is extensive, the LIRR said.

(Lisa Finn)

The LIRR said it expects service east of Patchogue, including to the Hamptons and Montauk, to be suspended all day Saturday — customers should not go to Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal, Jamaica or their local station expecting service to resume east of Patchogue.

Regular service to Patchogue and Riverhead remain in effect, and the LIRR has dispatched additional personnel to major transit hubs to provide information as it becomes available and manage potential crowding.

Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman was at the scene of the derailment Saturday.

"The Long Island Rail Road is working expeditiously to restore train service and to move passengers by bus util that service is restored," he said. "Thankfully there were no injuries involved. It’s certainly going to be an inconvenience this Memorial Day weekend but I observed the various emergency response teams in action and I am confident that they will do everything possible to get service back up and running as quickly as possible," he said.