Boats, dumpsters and other debris block the North Jersey Coast Line rail track at Morgan Draw Bridge in New Jersey in the aftermath of super storm Sandy in this October 31, 2012 handout photo.HANDOUT/Reuters
Bombardier Inc. is offering its assistance to New Jersey Transit, one of the hardest hit public transport agencies in the path of Atlantic mega-storm Sandy.
About 35 per cent of the agency's locomotives and 23 per cent of its rail cars are reported to have been damaged or ruined and it has yet to be determined how many can be repaired and returned to service.
Montreal-based Bombardier – a major supplier of rolling stock to New Jersey Transit – is prepared to provide whatever emergency help that might be needed, said Maryanne Roberts, a spokeswoman for Bombardier Transportation in the United States.
"We can send people to go help inspect equipment, to help make the necessary repairs, to replace parts, to assist in finding places to do repair work," she said in an interview Tuesday.
"It's the agency [in the region] with the most damage to its rolling stock."
Indeed, Bombardier itself didn't escape the wrath of Sandy.
Several Bombardier employees who are on site to do customer service on recently delivered stock saw their 3 double-wide trailers flooded, said Ms. Roberts.
New Jersey Transit officials have not yet responded to Bombardier's offer of help, she added.
"I imagine they're overwhelmed," she said.
Agency spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said no decision has been made Bombardier's offer and that the priority is restoring full service and repairing the system.
"We're grateful for their offer of assistance and we will call them if needed," she said.
Bombardier has supplied about 330 double-decker passenger cars to New Jersey Transit. Four years ago, the agency also ordered 36 electric locomotives.
Besides track washouts and major flooding at terminals and other facilities, New Jersey Transit is coping with damage to 65 locomotive engines and more than 250 cars, according to reports.
Bertrand Marotte