Above: The tracks of NJ Transit’s North Jersey Coast Line were in ruins days after the system was devastated by superstorm Sandy. Left: The Morgan Drawbridge in Sayreville, pictured shortly after Sandy, became a symbol of the destruction. Ten months after superstorm Sandy, NJ Transit is still working to restore full service to lines and stations throughout the state, including the Monmouth and Middlesex-based North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL).
While the post-storm delays and cancellations are largely a thing of the past for area commuters, NJ Transit is collaborating with state and federal officials to prevent them from ever happening again.
“Our focus is on rebuilding our system in a stronger, more resilient fashion,” NJ Transit spokesman John Durso Jr. said on Aug. 26. “And it is not going to be one step; it’s going to be a number of steps.”
One of those steps, according to Gov. Chris Christie, will involve bringing microgrid technology to transit systems, some NJ Transit stations and maintenance facilities near the northern end of the NJCL.
PHOTOS COURTESY of NJ TRANSIT “This first-of-its-kind electrical microgrid will supply highly reliable power during storms, and help keep our public transportation systems running during natural times of disaster,” Christie said during his announcement of the initiative on Aug. 26.
The technology uses localized sources of energy — such as small wind generators, photovoltaics and more — to generate and store power along a microgrid that can operate autonomously in the event of an outage.
Following superstorm Sandy, which knocked down power lines and flooded substations throughout the state, NJ Transit lines into and out of New York City were knocked offline, forcing commuters to ride buses and ferries.
Significant damage to electrical substations and operations centers forced NJ Transit to operate on truncated schedules, creating capacity shortages and long passenger lines at stations throughout the state.
While the service interruptions are inconvenient, Christie said they also pose a security risk for residents who would need to be evacuated in the event of an emergency.
The partnership includes the U.S. Energy Department, NJ Transit, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and national microgrid designer Sandia National Laboratories. The goal, according to an Energy Department release, is to perform a comprehensive risk assessment of the system and to design a “dynamic” solution that would “make it easier to get the power back on after a major disaster.”
While service along the NJCL — which runs between Bay Head and New York City — would have been disrupted by the poststorm power outages, the significant flood damage to its rails and bridges made electricity irrelevant. According to Durso, 30 miles of track along the line sustained severe damage during the storm, primarily between South Amboy and Bay Head. Approximately 3.5 miles of track were completely washed away.
“The river drawbridge over the Raritan Bay was actually knocked off its pilings,” Durso said. “The Morgan drawbridge [in Sayreville] became a symbol of the storm’s devastation around the world.”
In the wake of the storm, NJ Transit received approximately $231 million in federal funding for recovery, repair and emergency transportation costs, Durso said. In May, NJ Transit received an additional $110 million in repair funding.
Service has been almost completely restored for the coast line’s 24,900 average weekday riders, with only one of the line’s 114 daily trains remaining out of operation as of Aug. 27.
Durso said the coast line has even increased its level of service for off-peak hours over prestorm levels.
“We are providing a ride for every customer who wants one,” he said.
System-wide, nearly 230 of the 343 rail cars and locomotives damaged during the storm had returned to operation, as more permanent infrastructure repairs continue.
According to Durso, a main priority for NJ Transit during this time is ensuring that the entire system can better withstand future storms.
“We are working with partners on the state and federal level to accomplish that,” he said.
In May, NJ Transit received an additional $106 million from the federal government to fund ongoing resiliency projects, which include improvements to ferry slips, light rail infrastructure, commuter lines and train stations.
Along the NJCL, NJ Transit will be building new sections of sea wall, installing sheathing to prevent bridge washouts, and elevating substations and other infrastructure.
Durso said those projects were in the planning stages as of Aug. 26.