Ruth Fremson/The New York Times PATH train service is returning to a normal operating schedule this weekend for the first time since Hurricane Sandy ravaged the system.The PATH train will resume weekend service between New Jersey and Lower Manhattan on Friday, marking the first time since Hurricane Sandy that all of the system’s trains are once again operating on a normal schedule.
When the storm struck in October, the tunnels between New York and New Jersey were flooded with millions of gallons of salt water, and removing the water and repairing the damage has been a monumental challenge.
A video showing water bursting through a closed elevator and emptying into a PATH station became one of the more memorable images of the hurricane.
The Port Authority, which runs the PATH service, said at the time that it “experienced an unprecedented amount of flooding, damaging multiple types of equipment, including those for signaling and train control.â€
In all, the storm caused about $800 million in damage to the PATH service, according to the authority. The loss of the service was particularly burdensome to commuters in Hoboken, N.J., many of whom rely on the trains for travel.
One month after the storm, when partial PATH service was restored, it was hailed as a sign of Hoboken’s slow recovery.
But it took longer to reopen the line that runs between Exchange Place in Jersey City and the World Trade Center â€" which includes stops in Newark! , Harrison and Grove Street in Jersey City.
Weekday service on the line resumed in January. And when the trains start running again this weekend, it will mark a full return to prestorm operations.
