NJ Transit Could Have Prevented Millions in Sandy Damage, Report Says

by  Amy Byrnes

NJ Transit has released documents indicating that millions of dollars worth of equipment damage could have been prevented if officials had followed a storm plan developed a few months before Hurricane Sandy swallowed a third of the agency's train fleet, according to a NorthJersey.com report. 

The papers, released following a public records suit filed by newspaper in March, showed that commuter trains were supposed to be transferred to higher land in the event of a hurricane or severe tropical storm. Instead, NJ Transit moved 343 pieces of equipment to low-lying areas near the water, resulting in $120 million in damage. 

NJ Transit officials have declined to explain or discuss why crews stored the engines and railcars in low-lying yards in Kearny and Hoboken that are near water, according to the article. The 3 1/2-page storm plan prepared in June 2012 detailed over a half dozen sites on higher ground where equipment should be moved prior to a severe storm.

Damaged equipment included 70 locomotives and 273 railcars that were flooded during Sandy’s storm surge.

Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) on Monday said she wanted to hold a special legislative hearing to examine why the transit agency didn't follow its Hurricane plan, NorthJersey.com reported.