‘Suspicious package’ found at Merrick train station

Police removed a “suspicious package" that someone found on Tuesday afternoon at the Merrick Long Island Rail Road station, according to LIRR spokesman Salvatore Arena. He said he knew nothing further about what the package contained.

An eyewitness, who asked not to be identified, said that a contingent of police officers arrived at the station, blocked off access to the train platform’s staircases and searched the platform with police dogs.

Arena said that train service was disrupted between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. A 3:28 p.m. post from the LIRR’s Twitter page first stated that a train — from Speonk to Jamaica — had been delayed “due to police activity in Merrick.” A 3:35 p.m. post announced that the LIRR had suspended all service on the Babylon and Montauk branches, again due to police activity in Merrick. At 3:42 p.m., another post announced that service had been restored to both branches. The Speonk to Jamaica train ended up being delayed for 28 minutes, according to the LIRR Twitter account. Two other trains — one from Penn Station to Babylon and the other visa versa — were delayed for 20 minutes and 17 minutes, respectively, the Twitter page stated.

Arena said police located the package near the Merrick LIRR station, but he could not be more specific.

“Whatever it was, they got it out of there,” Arena said.