The old South Ferry subway station will be temporarily reopened in April

Downtown subway riders will soon return to their former routes, with South Ferry subway service to be restored via the original loop station the first week of April 2013. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the 1-train service restoration today, improving access to Whitehall Ferry Terminal and Lower Manhattan for more than 10,000 daily riders.

"The MTA has a long, tough job ahead as it tackles the immense job of virtually rebuilding the new South Ferry terminal station that was flooded 80 feet deep during Superstorm Sandy," Governor Cuomo said. "For the extended period of time it will take for this work to be completed, we are returning the old station in the complex to service, making travel easier and more convenient for Staten Islanders and others who work and visit this area."

The South Ferry Terminal was rebuilt and opened as a $535 million, state-of-the-art transit facility in 2009, replacing the century-old station, which was sealed off and decommissioned. But during the October 29th hurricane, the storm surge sent a torrent of salt water into the new terminal. An estimated 15 million gallons of water from New York Harbor filled the entire station from the tracks to above street level. All electrical and mechanical systems and components were destroyed and the station was rendered unusable.

Read more about the storm's effects on South Ferry Terminal here.

Since early November, 1 trains have terminated several blocks north at Rector Street. Faced with an estimated two-year timeline for restoring the new South Ferry station, MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) studied the former loop station, located directly above it. The station is on a sharp curve and requires moveable platform edge extenders to bridge gaps between the platform and the cars, and it can accommodate only five cars of a 10-car subway train.

The estimated $2 million to return the old South Ferry loop to service includes refurbishing the moveable platform-edge extenders and replacing pistons and other components. Crews must install new utilities, closed-circuit television systems to monitor the platform, customer-assistance intercoms, cameras, and radio communications in the dispatcher's office. Turnstiles, lighting, and general wall repair also is essential.

Other work includes opening a brand-new connection point between the new station's mezzanine and the old loop station -- which will allow a transfer between the 1 train and the R train's Whitehall Street station.

"As MTA New York City Transit assessed the extent of damage to the new South Ferry station, it became clear that the time necessary to repair it would be too long a period to deny our customers a direct link to Lower Manhattan," said MTA Interim Executive Director Thomas Prendergast. "We are working to ensure that all elements and systems are fully operational, safe and reliable before restoring service to the old station, but our primary goal remains restoring the new South Ferry station as soon as possible."

The Federal Transit Administration has reimbursed NYCT for an initial $629,100 of recovery work at the new South Ferry station, which included pumping out water, removing debris, assessing damage and inspecting equipment.

This initial FTA funding reimburses the MTA for costs incurred during preparation for the storm through January 29th. It is the first round of funding the MTA has received to help recover from Sandy and rebuild with more resilient components. The MTA is working closely with the FTA to pursue reimbursement for the costs of rebuilding the devastated station.

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