NJ Transit restoration of rail at pre-Sandy levels

New NJ Transit rail schedules took effect on Jan. 14, including additional trains on the North Jersey Coast Line that will restore service levels into New York to 100%, reflecting the agency’s ongoing Hurricane Sandy recovery and repair.  

“The full restoration of our New York Penn Station rail service marks another important milestone for NJ Transit and our customers, the majority of whom commute to and from midtown Manhattan,” said NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein. “Equally important is the progress we’ve made on the North Jersey Coast Line, which was among the hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy. Again, I cannot emphasize enough the tireless efforts made by our rail employees to restore service for our customers.”

The North Jersey Coast Line is now operating nine additional trains, restoring the line’s service level to 96% of its pre-Sandy schedule. The agency is also operating 110 of the 114 pre-Sandy scheduled trains along the North Jersey Coast Line.

Systemwide, NJ Transit’s rail division has reached 94% of its pre-Sandy service level, operating 658 of the 700 weekday trains scheduled prior to the storm. Weekend service was restored to near pre-storm levels as of Dec. 3.

Flooding from Hurricane Sandy and the resulting exposure to saltwater destroyed NJ Transit’s Mason Substation in Hoboken — a critical component of the transit system’s infrastructure that provides electric power for trains to operate into and out of Hoboken Terminal each day.

With no electric power available, diesel-powered trains have been substituted for electric-powered trains into and out of Hoboken, particularly along the Gladstone Branch of the Morris & Essex Lines. Approximately 24 electric-powered trains that operated along the Gladstone Branch pre-Sandy have been replaced by diesel-powered trains.

NJ Transit tentatively anticipates electric power to be restored to Hoboken Terminal by March, at which time electric trains will be restored to the affected lines.

“We are continuing to work closely with our partners in Washington and Trenton to secure the funds needed to raise this critical substation and make it more resilient for the future,” said Executive Director Weinstein.