Fire on NY's Long Island Rail Road causes delays

[August 24, 2010]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Morning rush-hour commuters on NY's Long Island Rail Road should expect significant delays as the railroad works to fix the damage from a switching station fire.

The LIRR says 33 westbound morning trains -- or 25 percent of trains -- are being canceled Tuesday. The affected routes will be replaced by bus service.

The fire late Monday morning happened near the Jamaica station in Queens, a major transfer point for commuters going to or from Manhattan and Brooklyn and to various locations across Long Island.

The commuter rail line is the nation's largest and carries about 265,000 daily riders.

The cause of the blaze appeared to be weather-related but is under investigation.

The railroad says it could take several days to repair the problem.

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[Associated Press]

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