It’s been almost 10 months since Hurricane Sandy devastated NJ Transit’s operations. Nearly all trains have since returned, but at the railroad’s iconic Hoboken terminal, things are far from normal. The storm flooded the main waiting room and its restrooms have been out of service ever since; passengers are directed to hard-to-find replacements. For months, the only “facilities” were on a parked train.
NJT has now announced the reopening of the restrooms as of Monday, August 19, according to reporting by Mike Frassinelli in the Star-Ledger (August 15). However, the restoration is not complete: the waiting room will be shut down for about 8 weeks starting about October 1 to restore its historic wooden benches and woodwork. The benches are currently covered, pending the restoration work. During the closure, NJT said, arrangements will be made to ensure access to the restrooms, which are inside the waiting room, and incentives will be offered to the contractors to get the work done before the onset of winter, when the heated waiting room becomes a real necessity.