Watch: Strike grinds America's busiest commuter rail line to a halt

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), which serves New York City and its eastern suburbs, ceased operations just after midnight Friday after five unions representing about half its workforce walked off the job. The LIRR serves around 250,000 commuters daily.

The unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the public agency that runs the railroad, have been negotiating for months on a new contract, with talks stalled over the question of workers' salaries and healthcare premiums.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul appeared with the MTA's chief executive, saying they were ready to do whatever was necessary to help talks along as the strikes continued through to Monday 18 May.

"We all know that the railroad is the lifeblood of Long Island. Without it, life as we know it is simply not possible,' she said, adding that 'no one wins in a strike'.

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