Port Jervis Line restoration ahead of schedule

Metro-North Railroad President Howard Permut on Monday said full service on the railroad’s Port Jervis Line will be restored Monday, Nov. 28, roughly one month ahead of the most optimistic projection. Permut made the announcement at a combined Metro-North/Long Island Rail Road Committee meeting.

The Port Jervis Line, linking its namesake city with Hoboken, N.J., was severed Aug. 28 by flooding generated by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene, resulting in severe damage to 14 miles of right-of-way between Harriman and Suffern, N.Y., north the New York/New Jersey border.

Substantial progress has been aided by the ability of workers to recover substantial material, including ballast, which has helped reduce repair cost estimates. Metro-North says that includes costs paid to third-party contractors. In addition, the cost of substitute/shuttle bus service bridging the washout, originally estimated at $60 million, now is estimated to cost between 33% and 50% less.