Metro-North Railroad provided an update Monday, July 15, 2013, on its program to upgrade its right-of-way in the Bronx, N.Y., between Melrose and Woodlawn, used by both Harlem Line and New Haven Line services.
Begun on July 1, the nine-week project includes track and drainage improvements, tie replacement, fencing repairs, and general cleanup of the area, scheduled to be completed by Labor Day, the railroad said.
"The extensive program of work is being undertaken one track at a time and will require that the track being fixed is taken out of service continuously in order to accomplish the improvements as quickly and efficiently as possible," Metro-North said.
Metro-North noted the program already has: Excavated and removed 300 cubic yards of mud (resulting in poor drainage along the tracks); removed 467 concrete ties; installed 560 new wood ties; installed 290 tons of new stone ballast; trenched 3,250 feet of the right-of-way shoulder to improve drainage; welded rail joints and installed new insulated joints; removed a significant amount of debris, garbage, and graffiti on railroad property; and procured fencing for installation.
"The combination of track outages, trains stopping at opposite platforms and the use of bridge plates (temporary platforms that span the out-of-service track) at select stations are resulting in scattered delays of 5 to 10 minutes due to our significantly reduced operating flexibility in the Bronx," Metro-North said.
In addition, "Under a two-year, approximately $11 million drainage improvement project work will include installation of underground drains that will connect to New York City sewer lines that cross below the tracks at 12 different locations. This project is a continuation of drainage improvements successfully completed in 2011 at the Mott Haven Yard to alleviate flooding," the railroad said.