Mariel S. Clark
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — Those hoping to use the Long Island Rail Road to head out of town this weekend should expect more delays and cancellations as the railroad heads into a fifth day of travel chaos due to a broken switching tower.
Unless they're headed to the East End; Montauk afternoon express trains and weekend Hamptons Reserve Service would be running, the LIRR said.
For the rest of the railroad's 183,000 average weekend riders, expect more delays and cancelled trains.
Crews testing repairs to a switch at Jamaica Station found "additional damage" that will extend the process by several more days, the LIRR said in a statement.
All week the railroad has operated on a reduced schedule running just 75 percent of its morning rush hour trains and 68 percent of those in the evening.
The railroad's roughly 178,000 daily rush hour commuters have faced extra long trips and canceled trains as MTA crews worked around the clock to make repairs.
A cable fire knocked out the switch on Monday and crews have checking, repairing and testing the 200 wires, 77 switching points and 53 signals it controls, according to the LIRR.
During the summer months, weekend ridership is often higher as New Yorkers head out of the city and to area beaches, a spokesperson said.
