Intrastate Shore Operations

All the talk of the Bergen Shore Express in the Favorite Push-Pull Equipment thread got me thinking. With gas prices expected to rise throughout the summer, would it be worthwhile for NJT to add special intrastate operations for the Coast Line?

The Bergen Shore Express could run again, stopping at the lower platforms of Secaucus (i.e. not rendering it useless) and then proceed up to the Newark Division on its former route.

Recall the CNJ's Mermaid Train, which ran from Raritan to the Coast Line during the 70's due to the gas crisis. Do the connections exist for this train to run again on its former routing? If not, then it could be run with a change in direction at Newark (i.e. Raritan to Newark locomotive hauled, Newark to Bay Head with the cab car in the lead).

Could something be done with the NEC and the River Line? How about a diesel train from Trenton to Rahway and then Rahway to Bay Head? I'd bet that would be a huge boost for the River Line.

How about a PJSE (Port Jervis Shore Express) and a PVSE (Pascack Valley Shore Express) both turning on the west end wye ? They cannot do a Boonton Shore Express w/a turn there because the Montclair Connection rendered the line east of Walnut Street useless.

Maybe they could do a Hackettstown Shore Express with some sort of back up move off the M&E ?

I'm sure that NJT would argue against all that, pointing to Secaucus Junction's existence as the most viable alternative to spending extra money on direct trains.

Irish Chieftain wrote:I'm sure that NJT would argue against all that, pointing to Secaucus Junction's existence as the most viable alternative to spending extra money on direct trains.

As well as a waste of a good amount of transportation funds.

I can see where you're coming from on the Bergen Shore Express and the Mermaid Train, but I think it would be worthwhile for NJT to institute a diesel train from Trenton to Bay Head to serve River Line passengers. It would be similar to the BSE in that it would be one train, departing Trenton in the morning, and departing Bay Head in the evening. It can only do wonders for the River Line.

Again, NJT will tell you that you can transfer at Rahway...

And as for the River Line, people have to transfer off the NEC to get to that :-\

Oh, to be utterly frank, using "BSE" for "Bergen-Shore Express" sort of unnerves me; the initials are the same as for the scientific name for mad cow disease...

Irish Chieftain wrote:Again, NJT will tell you that you can transfer at Rahway...

And as for the River Line, people have to transfer off the NEC to get to that :-\

Oh, to be utterly frank, using "BSE" for "Bergen-Shore Express" sort of unnerves me; the initials are the same as for the scientific name for mad cow disease...

Perhaps BSX would be politically correct ?

If only NJT improves transfers at Rahway. I found an hour wait going from both ways is ridiculous!

Also forgot to mention that using Union interlocking would require a reverse move. There's no track that goes between southbound and southbound...

Hypothetically:

Couldn't they bring it on on Track B or 4 and then back it out from there? I recall reading in here that at interlockings, any track can be used in either direction. And Track B and 4 both make connections to the NEC and the NJCL. Or am I just off my rocker?

Nick, you are right, it "could" be done, but would be rather time and space consuming.

The "eastbound" (on teh NEC) would have to pull into Rahway, more than likely on track 4. It could pick up passegners at Rahway, while the crew is switching ends. Switching ends takes, well depending on teh length of a train, about 5 minutes, from the time the train stops, to the time it goes again in the other direction. The train could then, after the crew switched ends and is now ready to head west on the Coast Line, either head down the Eastbound or Westbound Holes to the Coast Line and Graw interlocking.

I would say the same thing would happen going back to Trenton. The train would pull into either the eastbound or westbound hole tracks, approach Rahway station on track 4, the crew would switch ends, and then take it down to Trenton.

But I think the above poster is correct, they will simply say "simply transfer at Rahway" but the transfer at Rahway is flat out unacceptable. I also don't see any single train BSE, or BSX or whatever acroynim we are gonna call it, but I would like to see special diesel trians running up to Secaucus Xfer, maybe stopping at SEC, NWK, Hazlet (maybe start a shuttle bus or something wiht the Keansburg Amusement park), Monmouth Park, Long Branch, then all stops to Bay Head

Yeah, I like your idea the best Jt. The fact of the matter is that there is a real demand for this. The Coast Line is just busier during the summertime (both on weekdays and weekends.)

Also, as an ex-Perth Amboy resident and a person who goes there quite a bit, they'll be reopening the beaches sometime relatively soon for swimming. They recently just fixed the place (sand and all) up. Now, being an ex-Perth Amboy resident and a person who goes there quite a bit, I'm not sure if I would want to go swimming there but this adds possibilities for travelers wanting to go to PA to swim in the summertime (as strange as it sounds.)

Along these lines of discussion....

How difficult would it have been for NJT to construct an elevated loop connector track from the ex-Lackawanna Morris & Essex ROW over to the ex-Pennsy NEC at points just east of the respective Harrison stations ( former station on the DL&W ) on both lines ?

Certainly getting up and over or through the PATH trackage would have to be addressed but not I would think impossible engineering wise. Destruction/clearing of old building structures and some homes would also appear relatively minimal.

If such a connector were built, riders from all points on the Morristown, Gladstone and Montclair-Boonton lines could - in theory - have direct train service to/from Trenton/Philly as well as the Coast Line's shore points.

Selfishly speaking, I'd prefer catching a direct train to/from Spring Lake and Chatham/Convent/Morristown as opposed to having to go out of my way to either Hoboken or Secaucus Transfer to change trains and wait to make/take another train to/from the jersey shore.

Comments ?

I would like to see Amtrak stop at Secaucus Transfer to add convenience and practicality for the folks coming from Main/Bergen/PV localities. Beats going into Manhattan or Newark by a landslide !

NLCL summer shore wekend trains, IIRC, still originate and terminate in Hoboken. Are the connections convenient with the Morris & Essex schedule ?

Maybe they could build an M&E-NEC elevated loop connector track along the western bank of the Passaic River along side McCarter Hwy ?

Mike -

" I would like to see Amtrak stop at Secaucus Transfer to add convenience and practicality for the folks coming from Main/Bergen/PV localities. Beats going into Manhattan or Newark by a landslide ! "

Intrastate Shore Operations ???

" NLCL summer shore wekend trains, IIRC, still originate and terminate in Hoboken. Are the connections convenient with the Morris & Essex schedule ? "

Define convenient please. Going into Hoboken is out of the way for Morris County folks who wish to go to the shore points....hence why I hypothesized on a Harrison loop track connection.

" Maybe they could build an M&E-NEC elevated loop connector track along the western bank of the Passaic River along side McCarter Hwy ? "

I'll bite....why ?