This is the subway tunnel that brings the L line under the East River, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn. It looks like a set from a movie, thanks to Hurricane Sandy.
MTA employees using a pump train are working around the clock to pump seawater out of the L train’s tunnel under the East River. The tunnel was flooded during the unprecedented 13-foot storm surge of Hurricane Sandy. This photo shows activity on the afternoon of Monday, November 5.
After the water is all gone, MTA technicians will start a throughout inspection of “tracks, signals, switches, electrical components and third rail”. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says that “If any repairs are needed, employees will make them as quickly as possible to get service restored.” That’s not coming soon enough. The L line is one of the main arteries in the city. [MTA Flickr]
Image by Metropolitan Transportation Authority/Patrick Cashin