$7 billion needed to repair New York transport network

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New York officials have said it will cost $7.3 billion to repair the city’s transport networks following Super Storm Sandy.

Addressing a U.S. Senate transport committee, New York Senator Charles Schumer said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which runs the city’s subway services, had sustained damage totalling $5 billion.

The authority will need to spend $600 million alone to repair flood damage to South Ferry subway station in Manhattan, which only opened in 2009.

Talking about the damage, Senator Schumer said: “It’s huge. I never saw anything like it.”

Schumer congratulated the MTA for its preparations and response to Sandy, which involved shutting down the city’s subway system for only the second time in its history.

New York officials are not only asking for funding to carry out repairs but further investment to introduce preventative technology like inflatable plugs and station seals.

“We can’t just repair a 108-year-old system and replace it with the parts that existed then. Most of them don’t exist anymore and it wouldn’t make sense to just redo it exactly as it is,” said Schumer.

“We need help with mitigation to make it stronger and better.

“New York has no choice. We have to simultaneously rebuild and adapt to protect against future storms.”

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