Con Edison Expects to Reconnect Metro-North New Haven Line by Oct. 7

   By Michael Calia 
 

Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) said it expects to reconnect a failed electric connection and provide full service to the heavily traveled Metro-North New Haven commuter line by Oct. 7.

The cable failed Wednesday, severely limiting service on the busiest commuter line in the greater New York region.

The utility said it constructed alternative power sources to the line over the weekend, which allowed limited electric-train service to resume Monday morning.

Con Edison said it doesn't know for certain what caused the 138-kilovolt feeder line--one of two at the Metro-North power substation in Mount Vernon, N.Y.--to fail, although it said a preliminary review indicated it was likely related to Metro-North upgrade work that required a line to be disconnected several weeks ago.

Since the feeder cables are housed in oil-filled pipes, removing them from service involves freezing the oil in the pipe within a so-called freeze pit, Con Edison said. The utility added the fault in the cable was located just outside of the freeze pit area, where the surrounding ground was frozen. The unusual condition likely contributed to the feeder failure, Con Edison said.

"We cannot recall a condition of this nature developing during any of our previous freeze operations," the utility said.

The utility said it has been focusing mainly on setting up temporary feeder lines, reconnecting a line that was taken out several weeks ago to accommodate the railroad's upgrades, and fixing the line that failed.

Con Edison said it would conduct a thorough review of the cause of the incident once it concludes the restoration.

Write to Michael Calia at [e-mail]

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