LIRR service 'on or close' to normal after person struck in Floral Park

Service on three of four Long Island Rail Road branches is back to near-normal Tuesday after an early-morning incident involving a person being struck by a train in Floral Park caused significant rush-hour delays, officials said.

The official MTA website is reporting service is "on or close" to normal on the Ronkonkoma, Hempstead and Oyster Bay branches after the earlier cancellations and delays.

Officials said there were minor delays on the Babylon Branch due to the earlier police activity, as well. The branch was not initially affected.

Planned service on the Port Jefferson Branch, which had been affected by the train strike, has buses replacing trains both Tuesday and Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., officials said. That scheduled track work involves ultrasonic rail testing using the Sperry Rail Car to inspect for rail defects. The service replacements are between Huntington and Port Jefferson.

The LIRR said MTA Police are investigating the morning situation which officials said involved "a trespasser" being struck by a train at about 6:35 a.m.

Officials still have not released other details.

Initial delays were up to 60 minutes with some trains being canceled. New York City Transit cross-honored tickets at No. 7 train stops at Woodside and Hunterspoint Ave. until about 9 a.m., according to the LIRR's official Twitter feed.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”