By Jeff Lipton
- including two in Valley Stream - in which downed non-electrified wires disrupted service for commuters in a recent 18-day period, officials said.
The inspection, referred to as "forensic engineering," will begin soon, in response to the third incident, which occurred just east of the Valley Stream station on Feb. 20, when signals were knocked out shortly after 11:30 p.m., suspending service on the Far Rockaway branch of the LIRR, officials said. The branch also serves the Five Towns, with trains making stops in Hewlett, Woodmere, Cedarhurst, Lawrence and Inwood.
LIPA crews were dispatched to fix the problem at 2:50 a.m. on Feb. 21, allowing the LIRR to resume train service shortly after 5:30 a.m. In the meantime, substitute bus service was provided from Far Rockaway to Valley Stream. About 200 commuters were affected, as the LIRR was forced to cancel three westbound and three eastbound trains, with a fourth eastbound train delayed by about 25 minutes, James Castle, an LIRR spokesman, explained.
"It's always an inconvenience when something like this happens, but it could have been much worse if it happened at a different time," Castle said, adding that it was fortunate the problem didn't occur during morning rush hour.
The cause of the downed wires on Feb. 20 was still under investigation, and it is not clear if the weather played a factor, according to LIPA spokesman Michael Lowndes.
Lowndes said the inspection would be a major project, initiated by LIPA's president and chief executive, Richard Kessel. "That makes three incidents in a short period of time, and he has voiced serious concerns about this," Lowndes said of Kessel. "Extraordinary means will be taken to ensure that the system operates very well and that the passengers are safe, because safety does come first.
"We want to take a look at [the lines along the] entire railroad system, including the substations, which are buildings that handle power for the trains," he added.
Officials said the inspections have already begun at a Valley Stream substation.
No injuries were reported during any of the three incidents.
The first occurred on Feb. 2, when a non-electrified wire spread across seven tracks east of Valley Stream and forced the LIRR to halt service for more than three hours on the Babylon, Far Rockaway, Long Beach and West Hempstead branches. In all, 56 trains were delayed or canceled, disrupting service for about 30,000 commuters, officials said.
On Feb. 14, another non-electrified line fell across two tracks east of the Seaford station on the Babylon branch, interrupting service on one track for an hour and for more than three hours on the other, affecting 34 trains and about 20,000 commuters.
The causes of all three incidents are still under investigation, said Lowndes, who added that the weather may have caused the problem on Feb. 14, when the area was hit with snow, ice and wind. "We want to know exactly what went wrong," Lowndes said of all three incidents.
The wires that fell across the tracks were not "live" lines, but thinner, static lines that sit atop LIPA poles with the sole purpose of catching lightning, Lowndes explained. He said he is not sure how long the inspection might take, but added, "It's a major job that could take a good piece of time."
The announcement that all transmission lines along LIRR tracks would be inspected came days before acting LIRR President Ray Kenny said that the downed wires were severely hampering LIRR operations and putting commuters at risk.
LIPA and LIRR officials are planning to meet to discuss strategies to prevent more lines from falling near train tracks.
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
