LIRR delays, reroutes after train gets stuck in tunnel during morning commute

A Long Island Rail Road train hit debris Wednesday morning in one of the East River tunnels, causing delays and reroutes on eight of the 11 branches.

A transportation official said the train struck a third rail protection board.

An engineer on the train traveling from Jamaica to Penn Station reported the debris at 6:20 a.m. Earlier, an NJ Transit train was also stuck in the same tunnel and had to be removed. 

Trains heading to Penn Station are being affected, with some being delayed or canceled and others being diverted to Grand Central. No trains are going into Penn Station, according to LIRR officials. 

A rescue train came to the disabled LIRR train to offload the passengers. Some were put on a passing, occupied train, and others were put on an empty train that pulled up.

One woman on the train described her experience.

"I was terrified because we were inside the tunnel. We had no cellphone, no nothing," she said.

No one was injured, transportation officials said. 

The LIRR train was still stuck in the tunnel as of 11 a.m.

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