Main (http://joemygod.blogspot.com/) | Tuesday, August 30, 2011 Metro-North Line "Closed For Months" The Port Jervis line (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Jervis_Line) of Metro-North, which shuttles commuters between Penn Station and upstate New York, may be closed for months due to track damage from Hurricane Irene. Second Avenue Sagas (http://secondavenuesagas.com/) reports:
Outside of the city, the storm has been devastating. So far, 40 people have died from it, and that total is expected to rise. The property loss is estimated to be well over $10 billion, and even locally, the MTA announced last night that Port Jervis line will not enjoy Metro-North service for months due to "catastrophic damage" to track beds, bridges and signal system. The railroad will run shuttle buses for now, but they do not anticipate service any time soon. More details are available in a press release, and the photos are breathtaking in their starkness.
Labels: natural disasters (http://joemygod.blogspot.com/search/label/natural%20disasters), NYC (http://joemygod.blogspot.com/search/label/NYC), rail travel (http://joemygod.blogspot.com/search/label/rail%20travel)
Ouch. That's really something. It seems Metro-North territory got hammered by Irene. I wonder how New Jersey faired. There is still very limited service north of Philly so I'm wondering if the major bus carriers have seen more ridership in light of the gap of services in the Northeast.
Keep in mind that the Port Jervis (and Pascack Valley) lines are the "west of the Hudson" lines that are operated by NJTransit under contract. Basically, when the trains leave Hoboken (NJ) they're NJTransit trains and then when they cross the border into New York state, they become Metro-North.
Metro-North's other lines are mostly operational.
Also, the type of area served by the Port Jervis line is pretty unique compared to the rest of MNRR service.