NJ TRANSIT PUTS SHOVELS IN THE GROUND FOR NEW BAY HEAD YARD SUBSTATION
Resilient Substation Will Provide Secure Electricity Generation Even During Major Weather Events and Other Potential Disasters
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2020
NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT is advancing to the construction phase of a new power substation at the Bay Head yard on the North Jersey Coast Line. The new substation is critical to continuing or rapidly restoring rail service in times of environmental or other disasters.
“NJ TRANSIT is working to ensure that our entire transit system is resilient enough to meet the needs of our customers who depend on us, particularly following extreme weather events,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett. “This new substation can withstand storms stronger than Hurricane Sandy, allowing rail service to continue to operate or be restored quickly to keep New Jersey moving safely and reliably.”
The new substation, funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), is replacing two existing Bay Head yard substations damaged during Superstorm Sandy. It will not only be protectively encased but will also be elevated above anticipated saltwater storm surges and flooding levels.
In addition to the hardened substation, redundancy will be provided by a new backup generator and a connection to the public electric grid to ensure ongoing service.
In May 2019, the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors awarded contracts to T.Y Lin International and PKF-Mark III, Inc. The T.Y. Lin International contract for construction management services is not to exceed $3,059,350.52, and the PKF-Mark III, Inc. contract for the construction of the substation itself is not to exceed $20,657,858.61.
Substations are essential to supplying electric power to the catenary, yard and equipment facilities’ systems. Because of storm surge during Superstorm Sandy, the electric components of substations throughout NJ TRANSIT’s service area were particularly vulnerable to the corrosive effects of salt water. Repairing impacted substations and related electrical distribution systems was central to the full restoration of operations following the storm. By including more resilient substations that are less likely to be damaged in a severe weather or other event, NJ TRANSIT can either prevent or significantly reduce service disruptions.
The Bay Head Substation project is part of NJ TRANSIT’s ongoing Resilience Program, to make the transit system and infrastructure stronger and more reliable following Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
More information about the projects in the Resiliency Program can visit http://njtransitresilienceprogram.com .
NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 253 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 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.