NJ Transit To Build New Train Storage Facility In New Brunswick

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — NJ Transit plans to build a storage facility in New Brunswick that will serve as a safe-haven for rail cars and locomotives in case of a severe weather event.

The storage facility will be called the Delco Lead Storage and Inspection Facility and it will store trains and train cars used on the Northeast Corridor, Raritan Valley Line and North Jersey Coast Line.

Last week, the NJ Transit Board of Directors approved the first construction contract for the facility. The goal of this project is to take trains and locomotives out of flood-prone areas and get them back into service as quickly as possible after a severe weather event, such as snow, heavy rain or flooding.

Last Wednesday, NJ Transit awarded a $6 million contract to Union Paving to begin the first construction phase of the project, which will include preparing the site for the subsequent construction phase.

In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in October of 2012, not only were hundreds of miles of NJ Transit train tracks flooded by water and unusable for days, but also several of their train storage facilities were flooded, included their Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny and a train yard in Morrisville, PA.

However, NJ Transit recognized this area of New Brunswick — known as the Delco Lead — as a safe-haven: That is because it sits above the flood plain with relatively no adjacent trees.

The yard is also strategically located along the Northeast Corridor.

“As climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of weather events in our region, this project will mean better, more reliable and resilient service for our customers,” said Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit CEO. “The Delco Lead project will improve continuity of service by allowing us to quickly restore service even after the most severe weather-related impacts.”

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