The construction phase of New Jersey Transit’s (NJ Transit) new power substation are advancing 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 and 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 million and the PKF-Mark III, Inc. contract for the construction of the substation itself is not to exceed $20.657 million.
Substations are essential to supplying electric power to the catenary, yard and equipment facilities’ systems. Because of storm surges during Superstorm Sandy, the electric components of substations throughout NJ Transit’s service area were particularly vulnerable to the corrosive effects of saltwater. 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.
