Mandatory Hurricane Improvements Calls For More Elevated Space

North Christine, BR. January 3rd, 2015.

Blue Beach Yard Received 6 inches of Sea Water During Sandy 

For a system that uses the words "Elevated Railway", it actually hard to believe only 60% of the elevated network is above street & sea level. The 22, 26, 39, 47 & 79 lines all have significant portions of track at street level with the 22, 26, 39 & 79 being only a mere feet from the salty ocean. On normal days, this may seem scenic until a storm like Hurricane Sandy hit and engulfs those sections of track under feet of water. This leaves very limited space to store trains out of the damaging salt water's way. The NTSB and BDot spent the past two year conducting a study about train storage in the case of any high wave event whether if it's hurricane, nor'easter, or a earthquake triggered tsunami and the results are very grim. With the system expanding it's fleet with 150 new cars along with current 150 cars from 2005 and the 48 soon-to-retire cars from 1964 it will be nearly impossible to save the entire fleet from salt water unless more elevated space is created.

South Clubs Station is particularly vulnerable. 

Most of the Elevated Subway System in Metropolis stems from experimental elevated trolley routes as well as a few regular trolley routes that were outright converted instead of elevated. This means most lines at some point run on street level and close to waterway that could surge and flood out the tracks leaving rust deposits on rails or outright eatting them to the ballast. Metropolis Transit wants to combat this with more elevated subway space to store trains. Since during storm it's require to keep all running tracks clear, only the 79 elevated's express track, Exhibtion Hall and Blue Beach Depot (barely) are elevated enough to let water run through under it. Still monster surges in Sandy top the levee at Blue Beach leaving NTSB member to push for more elevated space.

Exhibition Hall is a good 45 feet above the street and 50 feet above sea level.

There is no definite location eyed yet for elevated subway storage but Metropolis Transit is urged to work closely with BDot to solve this problem immediately. The NTSB classed the project "Urgent" on the list of US transportation improvements. Governor Patrick Soraz (R) counters this by dismissing the study as "rushed" and "another transportation bill to spend money on" but, the Senate is taking the study finding a bit more serious.

"Sandy crippled the largest transit system in Bridgerissa for almost month because of downed train cars," Senetor Kelly Jones (R) began, "So what is there not to take serious about this study? We can't have subway trains running in the path of danger and I will try to lobby this to get the ball rolling even if Soraz doesn't care."

Only time will tell what will happen in the answer of this potential political spin.