East River Tunnels Thread

[Ken W2KB]

High voltage power lines on racks only. Too easily for emergencies causing lines insulation to no longer meet insulation specs. It would probably not be in first 10 years but later. Too easily for insulation to get nicked and I would not like to be that close to 12 - 12.5 Kv lines as they would be used as a hand rail to stay away from a burning car or motor.

Do not like some safety analysis that have been done for these repairs. There would be liability issues that Amtrak can not afford to take. As far as waiting for power to be turned off. There will be situations where evacuees cannot wait for that to happen.

Even with the high voltage lines in non conducting conduit that would melt at about 500 F. If in metal conduit grounded the ground can be too easily become disconnected. Then it can be a shocking experience. And yes it happened to me getting about 277 volts not nice. cannot imagine what 12.5 Kv AC would do,

Agree 100% based upon my electric utility work experience. That said, my employer's transmission line personnel routinely perform live line maintenance at up to 500,000 Volts, from helicopters and bucket trucks. They actually bond onto a conductor and their bodies are energized at that same 500,000 Volts as the conductor cables. That works fine for them but in the tunnels the proximity to ground would be fatal.

[nyrmetros]

So what is the current condition of the East River Tunnels including the 7 train tunnel?

[west point]

Maybe missed it. When does East river tunnel work start? After East side access opens? Which tunnel closed first far north tunnel #1 ? IS Amtrak doing any preliminary work ?

[STrRedWolf]

Question of track layout, because I could not find a cross-section or diagram that would answer it:

Does the 7th Avenue Subway line (1/2/3) go over or under the tracks leading to the East River tunnels and out to Sunnyside? I remember some diagram saying it's over, but I want to be sure. (Yes, more novel research)

[Head-end View]

Definitely over the LIRR tracks because from the Penn Station LIRR Concourse you walk up a flight of stairs to the 1-2-3 subway platforms and down a long flight to the LIRR platforms.

[west point]

Hopefully the wait to start rehab of the East iriver tunnel will enable Amtrak to acquire the necessary materials needed. Materials that may be delayed due to supply chain problems.

[edflyerssn007]

https://nypost.com/2023/04/04/commuter- ... hits-wall/

An LIRR train somehow hit the side walkway of one of the east river tunnels during the am commute.

[Erie-Lackawanna]

Rare, but not unheard-of. Bench wall strikes are the reason for the vertical steel bar on the car body at the center of the M7s. The vertical piece reinforces the car body wall at the location most likely to strike the wall, and helps avoid having a long scrape down the length of the car.

The cause could be a track defect that makes the car smack the wall, a suspension issue with the car that causes excessive lateral motion, or a combination of both. If the preceding train(s) didn’t hit the wall, it was probably at least partly due to excessive lateral motion of the car.

It usually doesn’t manage to make the NY Post.

Jim

[Jeff Smith]

https://media.amtrak.com/2023/04/amtrak ... l-renewal/

Amtrak Kicks Off Procurement for East River Tunnel Renewal

NEW YORK – Amtrak has launched the procurement phase of the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project with a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for construction services for the comprehensive renewal of two of the four tubes in the tunnel. The work will modernize the tunnel infrastructure, improving safety, service capacity, reliability, and security and bring the systems to a state of good repair used by Amtrak, NJ TRANSIT and Long Island Rail Road. Preparatory work is already underway in Sunnyside Yard with major construction starting in early 2024 and continuing through 2027.

“This project will renew the East River Tunnel for another century, connect local residents to jobs and economic opportunities, and deliver a modern, more reliable and improved travel experience,” said Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner. “As we usher in a new era for passenger rail, we are proud to work with our partners at MTA and NJ TRANSIT and thank Senator Schumer and the congressional delegation of New York and New Jersey for their efforts to ensure funding is available.”

“Thanks to the $24 billion for the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program on the Northeast Corridor that I secured in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the work to secure commitments from the parties involved, Amtrak can move forward to repair the East River Tunnels damaged during Sandy that are so vital to LIRR commuters,” said Senator Schumer. “The funding and commitments I secured will help strengthen New York’s infrastructure for Long Islanders on the LIRR and Amtrak riders for years to come.”

“The East River Tunnel is vital to the Northeast Corridor, and commuters and riders who depend on this infrastructure deserve a modern and improved tunnel,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making possible historic investments in passenger rail and rail safety, with significant opportunities to modernize America’s busiest intercity passenger rail corridor, benefiting hundreds of thousands of citizens and the economy.”

“We are delighted to see this vital infrastructure work moving forward,” said LIRR Interim President and Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi. “With the opening of Grand Central Madison, current LIRR schedules are written to ensure the East River Tunnel project can proceed without major LIRR schedule adjustments. Once completed, this project will provide a more resilient tunnel that will allow hundreds of LIRR trains to pass through per day, and in the future, Metro-North service.”

“We look forward to working with our partners to advance this critical project,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “The rehabilitation of the tunnel will not only improve the safety and reliability of our service, but also enhance mobility and connectivity for all our customers across the region.”

The project is eligible for federal funding via the FY 2022-2023 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program (FSP-NEC Program) created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). An application for a full funding grant for the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project was submitted in March 2023 in response to the FSP-NEC Program Notice of Funding Opportunity. Amtrak issued this RFQ in anticipation of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) funding decision expected in Fall 2023. Previously, Amtrak applied for, and was awarded, a grant under the FY 2021 Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program for the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Enabling Components Project, which will ensure that traction power is maintained in each of the tunnel lines while rehabilitation activities are underway. Additional funding by the State of New York was announced in December 2021 by Senator Schumer, who facilitated an agreement in which MTA committed up to $432 million for the East River Tunnel project.

The selected construction contractor will sequentially rehabilitate both tubes by demolishing the existing tunnel systems down to the concrete liner and performing the reconstruction of all the systems. Interested contractors should monitor Amtrak’s Procurement Portal for further solicitation information and submittal requirements. The work will be performed under a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) as part of a 2021 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Amtrak and North America’s Building Trades Unions covering Amtrak’s major civil engineering projects.

This is one of several major infrastructure projects that Amtrak’s newest department, Capital Delivery, is advancing. Earlier this year, Amtrak also launched the procurement for the replacement of the B&P Tunnel in Maryland and Connecticut River Bridge with similar procurement opportunities in the coming months.

[Jeff Smith]

$$$: FRA.DOT.GOV

New York – East River Tunnel Rehabilitation (Up to $1,261,851,977)

The proposed project includes final design and construction of the East River Tunnels in New York City. The tunnels are used by Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor services, Long Island Rail Road, and New Jersey Transit for a total of more than 400 daily trains. The 100-plus-year-old structure has four tracks, and this project will fund full rehabilitation of tracks 1 and 2, with installation of a new direct fixation track, traction power, drainage systems, signals, communication systems, and fire and life safety upgrades throughout the tunnel. Damage to the tunnels from Superstorm Sandy will be fully remediated, returning tracks 1 and 2 to a state of good repair and preparing the tunnels to accommodate future growth. For matching funds, Amtrak is contributing $55,462,994, with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority contributing $175,000,000, and New Jersey Transit contributing $85,000,000.