Government Responds to NJ Transit Infrastructure Damage

TRENTON – Hurricane Sandy has greatly damaged NJ Transit’s infrastructure across the state.
“The NJ Transit system has experienced unprecedented devastation in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Destruction summarizes the impact to rails, rail yards, bus depot and critical operation centers”, said NJ Transit Board Chairman and NJ Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson. “With the break of daylight, NJ Transit began to inspect and assess the full extent of the damage. Our employees are committed to restoring the system as safely and efficiently as humanly possible.”
Early inspections reveal damage includes but is not limited to the following:
• Two tug boats collided with the North Jersey Coast Line’s Raritan River Draw Bridge at approximately 4:15 a.m. this morning. The full impact to the bridge is unknown at this time.
• Three boats and two cargo containers collided with the North Jersey Coast Line’s Morgan Drawbridge over the Cheesequake Creek at approximately 4:40 a.m. this morning. Additionally, two boats are also currently resting atop this bridge. The full impact to the bridge is unknown at this time.
• Washouts have been reported along the North Jersey Coast Line, as well as at Kearny Junction, a critical link for Midtown Direct service to New York City.
• Flooding has been recorded in Newark Light Rail tunnels while debris has impacted power lines along the Hudson Bergen Light Rail.
• NJ Transit rail station hubs at Hoboken, Secaucus and Newark Penn Station sustained impacts due to flood waters.
NJ Transit customers are reminded that that all bus, rail, light rail and Access Link service remain suspended until further notice. Service will not resume until the State’s public transit system is repaired, safe, and secure.
Service Updates
For the latest travel information, customers should listen to broadcast traffic reports, visit njtransit.com or access NJ Transit’s Twitter feed at @NJ_TRANSIT. Additionally, NJ Transit will provide the most current service information via the My Transit alert system (www.njtransit.com/mytransit), which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your cell phone, PDA or pager. Service information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555.