Running the Numbers on Amtrak's $689 Million Worth of Sandy Damage

Late last week, Amtrak revealed the extent of the damage its New York-area tunnels suffered during Superstorm Sandy, and it wasn't pretty. Seawater infiltrated ventilation shafts during the 2012 storm, flooding train tunnels beneath the Hudson and East rivers that date back to 1910. At some point soon, each of the four damaged tracks (two beneath each river) will have to be shut down to undergo serious long-term repairs. The new engineering report estimates the total cost at $689 million.

Using figures in the full report, which was provided by Amtrak, we charted the repair costs below. The damage falls into four categories: pressure washing ($9 million), crack and delamination repair ($8.3 million), bench wall replacement ($479.4 million), and a complete track replacement ($192.3 million). The $689 million total is spread fairly evenly across the four tracks. The East River tunnel will need $334.1 million in attention; the Hudson tracks, $354.1 million.