Station Square T station repairs ahead of schedule

Port Authority said Friday that work is ahead of schedule to repair tracks and electrical service around its Station Square station, which has been closed to light-rail vehicles since a Norfolk Southern train derailed Aug. 5, dropping several loads of freight and at least one car onto authority tracks.

Spokesman Adam Brandolph said crews expect to begin testing a new electrical system early next week and the station

could reopen after several days of tests. Earlier this week, the authority estimated the station could be closed three to four weeks, but Mr. Brandolph said crews have made a lot of progress this week.

Mr. Brandolph said crews already have replaced about 1,600 feet of track and installed new electric service for safety signals and a 5,000-pound support structure for overhead power lines for the light-rail vehicles. They expect to pour concrete Monday to repair a retaining wall and begin work to repair drains and the sidewalk along a single-lane bus lane behind the station and string 4,000 feet of overhead cable.

“Our crews have been really going hard at this all week to get as much done as they can,” Mr. Brandolph said. “They are ahead of schedule, and we do anticipate opening the line sooner than anticipated.”

Exactly when will depend on the weather and the testing ofthe safety signals, he said.

Since the derailment, the authority has been using the dormant Allentown line, which doesn’t use the Station Square station to get Downtown. That route adds 15 minutes or more to the commute fromthe South Hills.

Mr. Brandolph said Port Authority won’t total its costs until it is finished with the rehabilitation project, and Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said the city is still “tabulating the bill” for city costs such as police and public works personnel.

Norfolk Southern spokesman Jonathan Glass said the railroad hasn’t determined its costs yet. He wouldn’t comment on how the railroad typically handles reimbursement to other entities that have costs due to derailments.