NYC Rockaways service to return on May 30, 2013.

[WMAveteran]

 
Rockaways subway service to return May 30 Published: May 17, 2013NEW YORK – Service on the storm-damaged Rockaway transit line will resume May 30 after a six-month Metropolitan Transportation Authority effort to rebuild 1,500 feet of washed-out tracks, replace miles of signal, power, and communications wires, and rehabilitate two stations that were completely flooded. The new work includes installing a corrugated marine steel sheet wall 30 feet into the soft soil of over two miles of the right-of-way along Jamaica Bay to protect the track against future washouts and ensure the line is ready to handle future coastal storms.

"Superstorm Sandy devastated the entire MTA network like no other storm, but the MTA did a remarkable job of restoring service following the storm and at the end of this month, the line in the Rockaways will be up and running," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says. "The last six months have meant substantial cleanup and repair, leading to the rapid restoration of full service in all but the hardest-hit facilities. Now we must focus on the priority and challenge of making permanent repairs to keep the subways safe and reliable for years to come because the people and businesses of New York depend on a strong and robust mass transit system."

MTA New York City Transit has also established a new Sandy Recovery and Resiliency Division dedicated to launching, advancing and managing the rebuilding from Sandy, which will require years of construction and careful oversight of billions of dollars in federal aid. Plans call for protecting stations, fan plants, under-river tubes, tunnels, ground-level tracks, signals, train shops and yards, traction power substations, circuit breaker houses, bus depots, train towers and public areas. The goal is to protect all points where the subway system could be flooded during a storm.

The Sandy Recovery and Resiliency Division will draw on experienced engineers, project managers, procurement specialists, and other in-house staff as well as employees of approved contractors to manage the rebuilding effort.

The MTA has some $250 million in other Sandy repair and recovery projects already underway throughout the city transit and commuter rail network. While temporary repairs have kept most of the MTA network running, it will take years to design and implement permanent recovery measures.

From: TRAINS MAGAZINE NEWS WIRE