Rail services across the USA’s east coast have been suspended in preparation for the the arrival of Hurricane Sandy.
Trains on Washington’s Metrorail system, New York subway and Amtrak intercity lines have been cancelled as President Obama declares a state of emergency in the US capital.
Engineers in Washington have placed sandbags around the Metrorail network and will remain on standby throughout the storm to monitor pumping stations and remove downed trees.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has said that services will only be restored once detailed inspections have been carried out across the network.
The MTA began preparing to suspend service several days ago, readying recovery equipment, clearing drainage areas, moving vehicles from low-lying areas at bus depots and rail yards and sealing some tunnel access points.
