GARRISON, N.Y. (AP) — Full service has resumed on the nation’s second-largest commuter rail system after tumbling rocks damaged a stretch of tracks, halted trains and left hundreds of passengers without rides north of New York City.
The Metro-North Railroad said train service resumed around midnight Saturday after hours of repairs to the tracks between the Garrison and Peekskill stations on the Hudson Line.
The railroad brought in shuttle buses during the delay, but some stranded passengers said they waited for hours.
Rocks rained down on the tracks Saturday afternoon as crews were fixing a retaining wall. No trains were damaged and no one was hurt, but both tracks were left impassible.
Amtrak service was also affected.
Metro-North said crews fixed the less-damaged track to restore some train service before shifting to the second track, which could require more extensive repairs.
The rock slide is the latest headache for a railroad recovering from two major accidents and myriad service disruptions.
In December, a Metro-North Hudson Line train derailed in the Bronx, killing four passengers and injuring more than 70 others.
In May 2013, a train heading east from New York City to New Haven derailed and was hit by a westbound train outside Bridgeport, injuring scores of passengers.
This spring a retaining wall collapsed near the Glenwood station causing a mudslide that buried a northbound track in mud, soil and other debris. The incident knocked out two of four tracks, leading to speed restrictions and residual delays.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
