Edison NJ stop on the Keystone??

While riding on a delayed NJT 3165 yesterday afternoon (loco problem-- ALP46 -- @ Metropark), we pulled into Edison where I noticed a very crowded eastbound platform. A few seconds after our arrival, and eastbound Keystone pulls in and proceeds to collect passengers.

Having grown up in Edison, I've NEVER witnessed any Amtrak stopping at Edison for passenger service. Does anyone know why this would have occurred? (And pardon my ignorance when it comes to railroad operations on Amtrak.)

That's highly unusual - must have been a unique circumstance, as I haven't heard anything about making Edison an Amtrak stop.

Maybe it was ordered to stop by the dispatcher. I'll see how my Keystone ride to Philly goes on the 18th (taking a Regional back to Newark). It's been about 4 1/2 years since I last rode Amtrak from NYP to CRT for Open House, back then the train to Albany had a cafe.

Although I havent seen what your eyes have witnessed, I can say that I can kinda doubt that you saw an Amtrak train(5 cars never the less) stop to pick up NJT passengers at Edison. Are you sure you saw these people get on the train and you simply didnt just see the train stop and then proceed after alil bit of time? I say this, because going eastward, there is a home signal at Edison just east of the station on the 0-1-2 tracks for Edison int and its possible that the dispatcher didnt have the signal pulled up at Edison.

F23A4 wrote:While riding on a delayed NJT 3165 yesterday afternoon (loco problem-- ALP46 -- @ Metropark), we pulled into Edison where I noticed a very crowded eastbound platform. A few seconds after our arrival, and eastbound Keystone pulls in and proceeds to collect passengers.

Having grown up in Edison, I've NEVER witnessed any Amtrak stopping at Edison for passenger service. Does anyone know why this would have occurred? (And pardon my ignorance when it comes to railroad operations on Amtrak.)

The crowd you've observed was originally from the next train, behind you. While you were sitting in Metropark, I was on the next train, which was sent express from Rahway, skipping Metropark and Metuchen (we passed you while you were still stuck in Metropark). Everyone who were going there got off at Edison, and shlepped over to the other side. A local just left Edison a minute before we got there, and the next one was 40 minutes away. To everyone's surprise, they announced over the loudspeakers that Amtrak will pick everyone up in a few minutes, and drop them off at Metuchen and Metropark, on the way back.

I don't know how the trip back was, though. I called the wife when the conductor broke the bad news, as we were crawling through the Rahway switches, and had her drive to get me at Edison

I was dropped off in Edison on train 66 in 2003 when all the wires came down by Metropark.........

Thats as far as it made it that night...........

With the track work on track 2 in the area, sometimes things just need to be done to keep things moving!

I was also on train 3725 when just before Rahway it was announced that we would skip Metropark and Metuchen and go to Edison. I was standing in the vestabule with the rear brake when we told him that there was a 5:59 train scheduled to leave Edison and go eastbound and can they contact dispatch and hold it because there is a 47 minute gap and we were afraid other trains were dropping their passengers off and other trains following us would do the same. He did not hesitate and got through and made our request but then told us as we approached Edison it doesn't look like it was held for us. To our surprise that Amtrak did stop to pick us up and it made extra stops at Metuchen and Metropark. We were lucky because I believe we were the only train that was diverted but disappointed that NJT didn't hold the 5:59 to take us back. This is the second time I did not see the coordination. I was on a westbound one evening when my train left Newark-Penn was scheduled then for the airport and Metropark. It passed the airport and by the time they could get set up to B-track from the center track now we are in Elizabeth and there our a number of people with luggage on the platform giving the conductors a tough time. Of course it means dragging your luggage down and up to the eastbound side for a ride back and wouldn't you know an eastbound rolls in and out (wasn't held) with the next train 32 minutes later. I'm glad I didn't miss my flight that night. Felt bad for the crew members that didn't cause the train to miss the airport.

The infamous 47 minute gap in reverse peak NJT service that everyone complains about on the NJT forum strikes again!!!

I had no idea the easbound time gap was so great on the NEC.

Yes and the westbound gap is just as bad on the weekends due to Amtrak always shutting one of the tunnels for maintenance.

MR. NIGHT TRAIN SHOW wrote:I was also on train 3725 when just before Rahway it was announced that we would skip Metropark and Metuchen and go to Edison. I was standing in the vestabule with the rear brake when we told him that there was a 5:59 train scheduled to leave Edison and go eastbound and can they contact dispatch and hold it because there is a 47 minute gap and we were afraid other trains were dropping their passengers off and other trains following us would do the same. He did not hesitate and got through and made our request but then told us as we approached Edison it doesn't look like it was held for us. To our surprise that Amtrak did stop to pick us up and it made extra stops at Metuchen and Metropark. We were lucky because I believe we were the only train that was diverted but disappointed that NJT didn't hold the 5:59 to take us back. This is the second time I did not see the coordination. I was on a westbound one evening when my train left Newark-Penn was scheduled then for the airport and Metropark. It passed the airport and by the time they could get set up to B-track from the center track now we are in Elizabeth and there our a number of people with luggage on the platform giving the conductors a tough time. Of course it means dragging your luggage down and up to the eastbound side for a ride back and wouldn't you know an eastbound rolls in and out (wasn't held) with the next train 32 minutes later. I'm glad I didn't miss my flight that night. Felt bad for the crew members that didn't cause the train to miss the airport.

You have no reason to be disappointed with NJT. They can't make the decision to hold a train for you to make a connection on the NEC. The tracks are owned and dispatched by Amtrak. Now more than ever with the track work going on, holding a train at Edison during rush hour is impossible. A request would have been made for show and promptly denied. If anything, this situation shows very good coordination between two different transit agencies and is a shining example of what can occur when there is good communication.

Disappointed....somewhat. In the end because the Keystone stopped to pick us up and we were the only train to be diverted it worked out OK. I'll even say that the entire episode took 34 minutes well under 47 minutes plus. We didn't know the Keystone was going to pick us up and it is not like expectations to hold the 5:59 were unreasonable. Your talking about minutes because we pulled it at 6:00. It was pulling out while we pulled in. The 5:59 wouldn't have to wait that long with a 47 minute gap until the next train. I'm still surprised that an Amtrak stopped for us and wouldn't expect it again. Why is there a 47 minute gap during rush hour?

MR. NIGHT TRAIN SHOW wrote: Why is there a 47 minute gap during rush hour?

Oh no you di'int!

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 69&t=61623

MR. NIGHT TRAIN SHOW wrote:Disappointed....somewhat. In the end because the Keystone stopped to pick us up and we were the only train to be diverted it worked out OK. I'll even say that the entire episode took 34 minutes well under 47 minutes plus. We didn't know the Keystone was going to pick us up and it is not like expectations to hold the 5:59 were unreasonable. Your talking about minutes because we pulled it at 6:00. It was pulling out while we pulled in. The 5:59 wouldn't have to wait that long with a 47 minute gap until the next train. I'm still surprised that an Amtrak stopped for us and wouldn't expect it again. Why is there a 47 minute gap during rush hour?

It's not a 47 minute gap until the next train, evidenced by the fact that the Keystone showed up 34 minutes later. It's only a 47 minute gap until the next scheduled stop for a NJT train. As for why there is a gap, read through the link Matt provided. If you sift through the bickering, there are some very intelligent posts in there helping to explain the situation. As I've already explained, whereas expectations to hold the train a few minutes might not be unreasonable for you, it is for Amtrak. In the end, it's their railroad and they dispatch it as the deem best for their service, not you an everyday NJT commuter. Feel extremely lucky that they stopped the Keystone for you guys because I would never have expected them to do that.

They've probably did it because of delays. Amtrak Regionals sometimes makes extra stops in MARC territory because of significant delays. They also often rescue MARC passengers stranded because of a motor problem (and vise versa). In addition Amtrak 151 regularly makes stops at Perryville and Edgewood, which aren't on the Amtrak schedule.