In 2012 Superstorm Sandy damaged more than 300 NJ Transit rail cars and locomotives. Flooding devastated the Hoboken rail yard and the Meadowlands Maintenance Complex, resulting in more than $400 million in damage. Twelve years later, NJ Transit has broken ground on a storage and inspection facility designed to withstand extreme weather events. The groundbreaking was attended by officials from NJ Transit and the Federal Transit Administration as well as state lawmakers.
According to NJ,com, the $497 million Delco Lead and County Yard Storage and Inspection/Service Facility Project outside New Brunswick consists of several pieces critical to safeguarding the NJ Transit fleet. During extreme weather, trains will be safely stored on the Delco Lead track as well as the new indoor facility.
The Howell-based George Harms Construction Company was awarded the contract in September. They will rebuild four miles of the Delco Lead track, plus construct an additional one-mile long track connecting North Brunswick to County Yard. Both locations are high above the floodplain and offer an excellent site for storage.
The new Service and Inspection Facility will serve as an inspection center, light maintenance and parts storage in addition to providing a massive train shelter during extreme weather. The 1,250-foot-long facility will house five 12-car storage tracks and two 12-car inspection tracks. It will accommodate 174 new Multilevel III electric-powered rail cars that are replacing the outdated Arrow III cars. The new facility will offer timely inspection of railroad equipment, allowing a speedy return to service. Per Federal regulations, any train parked for more than 24 hours must have a mechanical inspection.
“Through the Delco Lead Project, we are safeguarding our rail cars against severe weather events and enabling faster restoration of services,” said Francis O’Connor, state transportation commissioner. “This forward-thinking approach not only protects critical assets, it reinforces NJ Transit’s commitment to maintaining a robust, resilient customer-focused transit system.”
The project includes funding from several sources. The Federal Transit Administration granted $184.5 million under the FY 2022-23 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program for the Northeast Corridor (FSP-NEC). $60 million in matching funds will come from the State of New Jersey.
