Edit: Metro-North has resumed most service. For the most current information, check the MTA website.
Mayor Bloomberg’s press conference addressing the damage after Irene has just completed. Of course, Chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Authority Jay Walder was present to address the state of New York City’s transit system. The unfortunate news for Metro-North riders is that it was our railroad that suffered the most damage out of all of the MTA. Walder said there was severe damage to all three lines, including significant flooding and track erosion. Damage assessments are still going on, and there will be no decision on when service will be restored until these assessments have been completed.
What I must say, however, is that MTA has been keeping us in the loop via their Flickr account, which is much appreciated. From the photos we can see that there is severe flooding at Tuckahoe and Valhalla, on the Harlem Line. Valhalla also has power lines down, in the vicinity of Kensico Cemetery. There was a mudslide at Spuyten Duyvil and Scarborough on the Hudson Line. Beacon, also on the Hudson line, has massive flooding and is probably the worst station I’ve seen so far, with the parking lot and pedestrian underpass completely filled with water. Harriman, on the Port Jervis Branch also has a flooded parking lot. Thus far there has been no photos posted of the New Haven Line, but Governor Dannel Malloy has said that there was extensive damage to the catenary system, and on the New Canaan branch. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves… (all photos credited to the MTA)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Also interesting are a few photos from yesterday in Grand Central. Seeing the station this empty is a bit creepy. Although people say that this happens quite frequently at night, it is obvious that it is not night in these photos. You can see Grand Central Terminal empty – with the sunlight still streaming through the windows. That light makes these images even more amazing to me. I’m a bit jealous I wasn’t there myself to take photos of the empty station!
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Does not look good. Probably the tip of the iceburg. Can only imagine what the infrastructure looks like on the NH line. Quick but very costly storm.
It’s a terminal, not a station. :P
–End Loser Railfan Rant–
I was half considering going to GCT yesterday, but they probably wouldn’t have let me in anyway.
It’s really quite good that they are posting pictures. I’m sure there would be people that didn’t believe them otherwise.
Considering that one of the captions on the picture posted on flickr was about police “securing” the building, my thought is no. Run ins with the cops are not high on my list of things to do.
Hopefully people who would otherwise have been impatient with the return to normal service will appreciate how much destruction there was when they see pictures like these. I wish they would post pictures of damage on LIRR; I am sure with flooding, on the south shore in particular, it’s a mess, even if it doesn’t compare to what MNRR sustained.
There are a few photos of the LIRR, but not as many as the subway or Metro-North. Knowing people though, they’ll still be pretty pissed if service doesn’t get restored immediately. Everyone pretty much hates the MTA either way. The pictures do go quite a long way though, for any of the riders that actually are capable of rational thought.
Hewlett.com posted some pics of LIPA crews repairing the electrical poles along the platforms of Hewlett LIRR Station. I hope the old station house survived, because since that’s the only surviving former South Side Rail Road of Long Island depot, it really should be added to the National Register of Historic Places.
I was once a student at the Linden Hill School,and home visits were just not that great,so on sunday nights,I would take the 8:00 pm train from Grand Central and 1 hour later would be transported back to the most wonderful school,on God’s green earth,with the greatest friends that God ever created.I would ride with my friends,till we reached the low-level platforms at Hawthorne,in Westchester County,in those days the upper harlem line was not electrified,and either RDC cars would be used or the dual mode FL-9 locomotives,would take the train to Brewster,NY,and the students would be met by 2 station wagons,from the school,what wonderful days,I really miss them.God bless the class of 1970,my true treasures.