NEW YORK — it’s normally a 34-minute run on an Amtrak Regional train from suburban Metropark station in New Jersey to New York’s Pennsylvania Station. Monday morning, a special Amtrak train made an 8-minute stop en route that isn’t on the timetable.
In this case, the delay was planned. The train was carrying a contingent of New Jersey politicians, providing an up-close look at Northeast Corridor infrastructure, with an emphasis on one of the aging North River Tunnel tubes beneath the Hudson River damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
On board the train, with ACS-64 locomotive 648, café car No.43589, and theater/track inspection car American View were New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, eight New Jersey members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, Craig Coughlin, and over three dozen members of the media.
Afterward, Gov. Murphy and the other politicians held a press conference at NJ Transit’s Penn Station waiting area to press for federal support of the $13 billion Gateway Project, which would add a new tunnel under the Hudson.
“The rehabilitation of the existing North River Tunnel and construction of the new Hudson Tunnel is crucial to the tri-state area, and in particular New Jersey,” Murphy said. “It is time for the Trump administration to prioritize the needs of commuters and our nation’s economy and commit to funding the Gateway Program.”
The $13 billion Gateway Program will include the construction of a new tunnel, followed by repairs for the North River Tunnel, that will expand capacity for commuter and regional train service and alleviate pressure on the existing tunnel. According to Amtrak, any major repairs will require at least one tunnel tube to be closed, which will have catastrophic effects on the regional and national economies if the new tunnel is not constructed by that time.
“This is killing our region,” Booker said. “Anybody who’s faced the massive delays that we see on a regular basis knows this is undermining the quality of life for millions and millions of people. We need to move with a sense of urgency.” Menendez called the situation “a transportation ticking time bomb.”
An agreement reached under former President Barack Obama had pledged that the federal government would pay half the cost of the project, but President Donald Trump’s administration subsequently said there was no such deal, so the project remains unfunded. [See “Talk aside, action on Gateway tunnel still stalled,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 4, 2018.]
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman said, “These tunnels are critical to keeping the entire Northeast corridor running smoothly. Unfortunately, they are also a perfect example of our nation’s crumbling and outdated infrastructure.”
Before reaching the tunnel, the train slowed to travel over the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River. The two-track, moveable swing span, opened in 1910, has been a constant source of operating problems. In the last six years, Amtrak spent an average of $1.5 million per year to operate, maintain, and rehabilitate the existing Portal Bridge. Occasional malfunctions create delays for both Amtrak and NJ Transit. A $1.5 billion fixed-span bridge which would lift he tracks above marine traffic has been designed but is not yet fully funded, although New Jersey has pledged $600 million. [See “Tugboat strikes bridge, delays service for Amtrak, NJ Transit,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 14, 2018.]
The 108-year old North River Tunnel has been in disrepair and in dire need of replacement since Hurricane Sandy, when salt water flooded and damaged the tube. Amtrak Senior Vice President Stephen Gardner explained tunnel infrastructure to the lawmakers during the stop in the south tube. Current maintenance for the North River Tunnel varies. When crews are able to obtain a schedule window one of the North River Tunnel tubes, they perform as much maintenance as possible including leak remediation, repair or removal of broken and fragmented concrete from the Sandy-damaged bench walls, and other routine maintenance. Due to heavy train volume, track and tunnel outages are extremely complicated to schedule and coordinate. It costs about $7 million per year to keep the North River Tunnel tubes operating; as the tunnel continues to age and its condition deteriorates, operating and maintenance costs could reach an estimated $21 million by 2037.
