Elizabethport Secondary

First off CSX and NS have a bypass to the Lehigh line and that is the Port Reading secondary track from Port Reading to Bound brook. In case of serious congestion they can drop south out of Oak Island down the Chemical Coast line to Port Reading and swing west to Bound Brook. I believe that CSX owns the RVL and NJTransit has a 50 year lease on the property with an option to buy. This lease signed during the breakup of Conrail. I don't know the defined mileposts as to leased portion property demarcations, maybe someone in the forum can enlighten us.
The RVL is a hot piece of railroad from 5am until 9pm on weekdays so I would think any road freights would run late night. I recall the South Plainfield derailment on the Lehigh line back in 97 ? Conrail ran 20 or more road freights from Bound Brook to Aldene in a 48 hour period. I think the agreement with NJT is, CSX / NS have Rights at anytime in an emergency to use the RVL but they cannot interfere with NJT schedules. I saw an afternoon east bound local at Dunellen with a 110 car freight right behind him the second day of the detour. The next westbound local had a Conrail piggyback train following him to Bound Brook.

Pardon my ignorance in that case; however, the treatment by NJT of that line, even the abandoned segments, makes it resemble those under their particular ownership, as with the Main/Bergen line.

IIRC a singular spinal like track remains in place of the once mighty 4+ track CNJ mains that ran under the LV and eastward into Roselle and under the PRR into Elizabeth and beyond ??

Correct. Just one track. That track AFAIK still starts in Garwood, passes on the outer part of the eastbound platform at Cranford, and it remains just that one track into Trumbull Street/Division Street in Elizabeth by the freight yard.

Didn't NJT (or Conrail, or DOT, or Union County) do some preliminary work on wiring/signals on the former CNJ in Elizabeth several years ago? I believe it was to be the first step toward the NELR.

I remember that...........

it was like four or five years ago, the single track was cleared there was equipment run on it.....I thought I recalled from the OLD OLD forum (2 or 3 ago :D ) that it was for contractors installing fiber optic cables and they had hi - rail equipment so that is what they were using to install it, so they had to clear the ROW (well the only track anyway)

The E-Port line is owned by New Jersey Department of Transportation, not NJT or Conrail. NJDOT owns several other dormant lines including the Southern Secondary below Lakehurst.

What a waste of space on the DOT'S part!
These dormant railroads should all somehow be utilized whether it is for freight or communter traffic.
What good is it to sit there and do nothing?

Well, its better than being sold to a private interest and the ROW lost forever.......

Good point indeed!
Better than a private outfit getting hold of ANY R.O.W'S!!
Then all chances of any reactivation are gone forever...

Does NJDOT own the whole southern secondary r.o.w. down to winslow or is it privately owned on some portions? Thanks

NJDOT owns the entire secondary from Lakehurst to the end in Vineland. The SRNJ only leases the part it uses.

TR-00 wrote:NJDOT owns the entire secondary from Lakehurst to the end in Vineland. The SRNJ only leases the part it uses.

Thanks TR-00 for that info....I remember posts from the old board saying that it was owned by private individuals in some parts, guess not....Is there any way of finding information about this NJDOT ownership on this line or others?..Is there info on state web sites or other places.....

Easiest way to determine ownership is to call the NJDOT and ask for contractor information. They will willingly answer a few questions about ownership (in case you want to build or fence in an area they own), but they are not equipped to answer dozens of technical questions. If you want detailed information, there is a charge.

TR-00

Hate to have to disagree with you, but the rail line between Lakehurst and Woodmansie is NOT owned by NJDOT or NJT, as far as I know it is still owned by Clayton Sand.

NJT owns from Red Bank to MP 63
Conrail owns from MP 63 to 65.9 (Union Ave) in Lakehurst
Clayton owns from Lakehurst to MP 79
DOT/Transit owns 79 to 102 (Winslow).
Separately the DOT owns from Winslow to the north side of Vineland.

NJT has some sort of rights to use the Conrail and Clayton portions for passenger service (might be an easement, not sure off the top of my head), but does not own these properties.

Also, as stated earlier, the former CNJ Main line between Aldene and Elizabethport is NOT owned by NJDOT or NJT, other than a one-block segment in Elizabeth.


PS love your closing line!