Amtrak Shares ERT Progress
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
Crews remove running rails on the ERT rehab project.
Amtrak
NEW YORK CITY - Amtrak offers an update on the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation project.
In May, Amtrak announced it began the first long-term track outage for the ERT rehab project. At the time, it stated that “Crews will demolish the existing tunnel systems ‘down to concrete liners, then [reconstruct] the tunnels with modern, state-of-the-art tunnel systems.’ Amtrak states the work will take place in one tunnel at a time to allow for maximum efficiency.” By July, RT&S reported Amtrak crews had finished decommission work to the existing tunnel system ahead of schedule. This work included installing temporary power, lighting, and ventilation fans, and the temporary systems would support Line 2 over the next year.
Now, Amtrak says it is still on schedule for train service to resume in the Line 2 tunnel in July next year. Since the closure in May and the decommissioning phase ending in July, contractors were able to enter into the demolition phase and utility installation. During this time, crews worked to remove track and ballast and install temporary systems, “before advancing bench wall demolition across portions of the tunnel sections.” During five 55-hour weekend outages, crews worked on signal infrastructure including “enclosures, transformers, conduits, and cables.”
As of reporting, bench wall demolition is one-third of the way completed with an end date slated for later this fall. Amtrak says the work ahead includes finishing demolition, addressing cracks and applying epoxy coatings at both portals, and working on the launch installation of “a new fire standpipe and snake tray systems that will support future electrical, communication, and security utilities.” Below is a video, courtesy of Amtrak, showing the current progress.
