Politics & Government

LIRR to Shut Down Saturday at Noon

Governor announces system-wide shutdown of MTA with hurricane near.

The Long Island Rail Road will come to a halt Saturday afternoon as Hurricane Irene begins to slam into the region.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) will institute a system-wide shutdown with trains and buses beginning their final runs starting around noon on Saturday.  

The shutdown will include the LIRR, along with subways, buses, Metro-North Railroad and Access-A-Ride.

Find out what's happening in Malverne-Lynbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We are fully committed and we are preparing for the worst," Cuomo said.

The LIRR cancelled some trains to the East End Friday to allow crews to prep and secure equipment before the storm hits.

Find out what's happening in Malverne-Lynbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It may also be difficult to get off Long Island once the wind starts picking up. State officials said that if wind speeds exceed 60 mph, most major bridges, including the George Washington and Verrazano, will be closed to all traffic. 

This is a breaking news story. Stay with Patch for updates throughout the weekend.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here