▁by ▁the ▁newly - formed ▁Metropolitan ▁Comm uter ▁Transport ation ▁Author ity , ▁today ' s ▁current ▁M TA . ▁The ▁M TA ▁began ▁operating ▁new ▁M 1 ▁electric ▁coach es ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁upgrad ing ▁of ▁every ▁station ▁on ▁the ▁line ▁to ▁high - level ▁platforms . ▁ ▁The ▁Long ▁Beach ▁Branch ' s ▁familiar ▁orange ▁color ▁scheme ▁() ▁was ▁first ▁implemented ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁M TA ' s ▁Form ▁ 8 ▁tim et able . ▁ ▁H urr icane ▁Sand y ▁and ▁infrastr ucture ▁modern ization ▁H urr icane ▁Sand y ▁struck ▁Long ▁Island ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 9 – 3 0 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁and ▁the ▁Long ▁Beach ▁Branch ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁seriously ▁affected ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁L IR R ▁lines ▁despite ▁a ▁full ▁system wide ▁shut down ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 9 . ▁Third ▁rail ▁power ▁was ▁lost , ▁as ▁three ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁subst ations ▁on ▁the ▁line ▁were ▁knock ed ▁out . ▁The ▁line ▁between ▁Island ▁Park ▁and ▁Long ▁Beach ▁was ▁stre wn ▁with ▁de br is , ▁and ▁switch ▁mot ors ▁at ▁Long ▁Beach ▁station , ▁along ▁with ▁other ▁signal ▁and ▁communic ations ▁components ▁on ▁the ▁line , ▁were ▁rendered ▁in oper ative ▁due ▁to ▁imm ersion ▁in ▁salt ▁water . ▁Bus ▁service ▁began ▁between ▁Lyn bro ok ▁and ▁ ▁on ▁November ▁ 7 . ▁Part ial ▁rail ▁service ▁was ▁restored ▁on