Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Significant damage to the line identified last week following Hurricane Irene by an aerial inspection includes up to 40 washout locations, including three washouts each at least a thousand feet long near Sloatsburg, a 400-foot section of track washed out just south of Sloatsburg, significant damage to several railroad bridges and exposure of what had been a subterranean signal cable.

Caught by the unexpected rise of Assunpink Creek, SEPTA's rail operations managers realized too late that the trains could be in harm's way. They say they will shuffle cars in SEPTA's 365-car fleet to deal with the shortage created by the missing 12 on the Trenton line.

Flooding at the Trenton, N.J.-based station was the problem for the rail network, as well as New Jersey Transit and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, which also could not get their trains into Trenton.

Service was up and running in time for the Monday morning commute. The agency planned days in advance, secured subways and buses, and de-energized the system. Actions taken were based on what staff learned from last year’s blizzard.

Full restoration of service is a lengthy process, as damage is assessed and repaired, equipment and personnel are positioned, and safety is ensured, according to New York MTA.

D.C. Metro maintenance personnel have delivered more than 2,000 sandbags at stations that historically have had water flow above the curb, down the escalators into stations. Supervisors will monitor critical locations, such as bus garages, parking garages, and flood-prone areas throughout the weekend.