Back In Service! Most NY Rail Lines Resume Operation

While most of the city's 22 subway lines resumed service on a limited schedule on Monday, the region's commuter rail lines didn't fare as well due to fallen trees and flooded tracks affecting some branches of MetroNorth and LIRR.

1 minute read

August 29, 2011, 11:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


While Hurricane (now tropical storm) Irene wrecked havoc along the East Coast, the effect was not as bad as anticipated in New York City, where all transit service had been stopped on Saturday afternoon in preparation for the hurricane that hit later that day.

"Several subway train yards were flooded on Sunday afternoon, and workers were trying to pump out water so that trains could run on their proper routes. But there were minimal signs of damage to the overall system, officials said, and the underwater tunnels that were considered vulnerable to the storm were mostly untouched.

Many trains had been removed from low-lying yards in advance of the storm, which made it easier for workers to restore them to service for Monday."

Monday, August 29, 2011 in The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 23, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Passengers board an Amtrak train under a cloudy sky.

Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement

The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.

September 18, 2026 - Mass Transit

An Airo train driving towards the camera on a track. There is a forest behind it.

Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet

Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.

September 22, 2026 - Washington State Standard

People cross the street in downtown Pittsburg.

Pittsburg launches 'EZ permits,' aims for one-day turnaround for low-risk permits

The pilot ‘fast lane’ for permits is part of a bundle of modernization efforts for Pittsburg’s permitting process.

15 minutes ago - Smart Cities Dive

A bus in Singapore at a stop behind a tree, waiting for passengers to get on.

Eating, littering on Singapore buses now a fineable offense

Passengers who put other riders in danger may be charged thousands of Singapore dollars.

1 hour ago - CNN Travel

A sign in a field that reads "Save the goats, no data center"

This rural Oklahoma town doesn’t want a data center. It may not be able to stop the project

With the project outside city limits and little county oversight of unincorporated land, officials are considering measures to gain local control.

2 hours ago - The Frontier

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design