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original story: NORWALK, Conn. — Metro-North customers along the New Haven Line were facing delays Friday night due to mechanical problems with the Walk Bridge in South Norwalk — for the second time in a week.
The problems were first reported online and via Twitter at about 10:45 p.ml Friday.
At 11:30 p.m., New Haven Line train service was experiencing delays of up to 60 minutes in both directions due to the earlier mechanical difficulties. The Walk Bridge carries Metro-North and Amtrak trains over the Norwalk River between the South Norwalk and East Norwalk stations.
Train riders were urged to listen for announcements at the stations Friday night.
Personnel were on the scene working to correct the issue.
Just last Saturday, a problem with the Walk Bridge halted trains for a few hours.
Even after repairs were made last Saturday, trains were able to run on one track across the bridge with massive delays of up to 90 minutes into early Saturday evening. Regular service was restored by last Sunday morning.
At the time, Metro-North said the bridge would remain closed to river traffic until further notice.
The Walk Bridge, which is nearly 120 years old, swings open to allow marine traffic through on the Norwalk River. It .
The bridge has faced many “operational issues” in recent years.
The aging bridge malfunctioned twice during daytime rush-hour travel times in summer 2014, failing to close properly and stranding hundreds of Metro-North riders along the New Haven Line and causing delays, complaints and headaches.
The state and Metro-North are considering options for the planned replacement of the bridge.
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