SI Railway Sandy Repairs

Staten Island was one of the worst hit spots from Superstorm Sandy. The wrath left behind is still being felt throughout the community & transit infrastructure. One of the worst hit spots on the island was around the St. George interlockiing which is currently undergoing a $105M project fix.

Due to this work, service will be suspended on multiple weekends between St. George & Tompkinsville. Here is more via press release:

A major MTA New York City Transit Fix&Fortify Sandy Recovery project underway on the Staten Island Railway (SIR) since September 26 will require five planned weekend closures between October 24 and the weekend of November 27.

During these weekend closures, train service will be suspended between St. George Ferry Terminal and Tompkinsville from 1:00 a.m. Saturdays through 4:00 a.m. Mondays. Shuttle buses will provide alternate transportation between these two stations. Staten Railway trains will run normally between Tompkinsville and Tottenville. The following closures are not consecutive and subject to change:

1. October 24-26

2. November 7-9

3. November 14-16

4. November 21-23

5. November 27-30

Three years ago, Superstorm Sandy drove a six-foot storm surge onto the shores of Staten Island. Portions of the Railway suffered extensive damage when tracks and equipment were totally submerged. In September 2014, a contract was awarded to LK Comstock for the rehabilitation of the St. George Terminal interlocking which serves the main passenger connection to the Staten Island Ferry. This $105 million project will modernize and replace the St. George Interlocking track and signal systems as well as rehabilitate the tower that controls train movement in and out of the terminal. The electrical distribution equipment housed in the tower was also damaged during Superstorm Sandy.

Resiliency measures that will be integrated into the project include the raising of all signals from 24 to 72 inches above the roadbed and using a raised platform for battery and generator enclosures. The project also includes the placement of new track ballast, the replacement of 12,000 feet of tracks and 13 turnouts, and a new third rail system.

While the MTA worked tirelessly to restore service as quickly as possible after the storm, it was immediately clear that future, more extensive work would be necessary to repair and rebuild these vital systems in order to ensure safe and reliable service. The project is designed to restore and rebuild damaged infrastructure while reducing the system’s vulnerability in the event of future severe weather. Overall, the MTA has been allocated nearly $3.8 billion in funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for Sandy related repair, resiliency, and disaster relief work system wide.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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