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EARLY ACTION CONSTRUCTION WORK BEGINS ON NJ TRANSIT'S FUTURE SAFE HAVEN RAIL STORAGE

Amtrak Switch and Track Removal will facilitate NJ TRANSIT's Future Resilience Improvements to County Yard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 9, 2019

NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT continues to advance its efforts to make the rail system more resilient to future extreme weather events.  Early action construction work performed by Amtrak crews has begun at County Yard in New Brunswick, the future home of NJ TRANSIT’s safe haven rail storage and a new service & inspection facility. 

“NJ TRANSIT’s relationship with Amtrak is stronger than ever, and our progress at County Yard and the Delco Lead Storage and Inspection Facility demonstrates it,” said NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kevin Corbett. “We’re excited to be progressing so rapidly and successfully on both of these projects, which will ultimately better protect NJ TRANSIT rail cars, and allow for faster service restorations after extreme weather.”

The demolition work, which began in early November 2019, includes: removal of turnout switch and track; installation of straight panels; associated surfacing work; welding; and related signal modifications to adjacent track and signal equipment. 

The removal of the old switches and unused track area will help facilitate NJ TRANSIT future track construction into the new County Yard and related site drainage improvements.

This early action work is expected to be completed by March 2020 and will not impact rail service.

The expansion of County Yard, which is part of the NJ TRANSIT Resilience Program, will provide additional resilient storage of rail cars in a centrally located area of the state. The County Yard Improvement Project, along with the Delco Lead Train Safe Haven Storage and Service Restoration Project, will reduce the risk of damage to rail equipment resulting from extreme weather events and provide an inspection facility to bring rail equipment back into service in a short period of time after a weather event. The eventual improvements include construction of a 4-mile long electrified Delco Lead tracks, an expansion of County Yard for storage, an inspection facility, crew quarters and associated improvements.

More information about the projects in the Resilience Program is available at http://njtransitresilienceprogram.com .

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 251 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.