Ten westbound Long Island Rail Road trains were cancelled and delayed up to a half hour due to police activity in Queens—the second snarled morning rush hour commute this week.
The LIRR said the delays and cancellations were due to “theft earlier this morning of copper wire” and other police activity near the Woodside station starting shortly before 8 a.m.
The snafu came four days after a third rail trouble in one of the four East River tunnels made a mess of the Monday morning peak travel time.
Subways were cross-honoring LIRR fares for stranded riders in both instances. The latest delays were affecting all 11 branches, but trains were running on time again before noon on all lines except the Port Washington Branch, according to the LIRR.
Scrap metal thefts have become increasingly common in recent years with burglars often ripping copper wire out of abandoned houses and stealing materials from construction sites to sell for cash at recycling yards.
