Lackawanna Cutoff Passenger Service Restoration

CNJ Fan 4evr wrote:This topic is beating a dead horse. I wrote a letter to the newspaper back in 1991 about this topic and 22+ years later tracks are still not laid across the cutoff in Pennsylvania.

I apologize in advance for the douchey comment but the cutoff is entirely in New Jersey except for maybe 800 yards in PA.

I agree wholeheartedly that NJ and PA have bigger fish to fry but you can't completely ignore a project that has already started and millions have already been spent on studies. If they wait too long(years), those extremely costly studies will be worth about as much a rock on the floor of the Roseville Tunnel. This project as it stands(quarter-built extension to Andover) is about a year away from finding its place next to the word boondoggle in the Encyclopedia. Also, this project has always been slated to terminate in Hoboken so capacity issues cannot really be blamed as this project major impediment. NJT's Sandy-related locomotive and coach issues should be resolved well in advance of the Andover extension being completed and that would be the case if they restarted work tomorrow(which they aren't).

Careful with the phrasing there Hawaii. I think rude or abrasive wouldve sufficed.

The Cutoff is a Pennsylvania problem from last station in New Jersey to whatever station in Pennsylvania is final destination .
NJT would not build beyond that last station as they would not use it, unless funded by state of Pennsylvania.

I only went back three pages in Railroad.net's version of War and Peace however the current problem with the Cut off's extension is expensive and recently discovered problems with the integrity of the Roseville tunnel. Remember, the NJ state legislators in Trenton have zero interest in heavy rail expansion and the NJT budget is operating on fumes partly due to Sandy among other issues. All of the transit rail side heavy's I know are not opposed to HOB-Scranton. If the money is allocated they will build to the state line.

No activity in the wetlands zone? I guess the missing section of rails/ties between Netcong and Andover is going to exist for a few more years.

Dcell wrote:No activity in the wetlands zone? I guess the missing section of rails/ties between Netcong and Andover is going to exist for a few more years.

More like Stanhope (track ends shy of Brooklyn Road). It can be seen in this recent (spring/summer 2013) aerial. At least 25 ALP44s can be seen stored along the Cutoff, along with a string of Arrows to the east.

R36 Combine Coach wrote:

Dcell wrote:No activity in the wetlands zone? I guess the missing section of rails/ties between Netcong and Andover is going to exist for a few more years.

More like Stanhope (track ends shy of Brooklyn Road). It can be seen in this recent (spring/summer 2013) aerial. At least 25 ALP44s can be seen stored along the Cutoff, along with a string of Arrows to the east.

Are they retiring Arrow IIIs?

Frank wrote:
Are they retiring Arrow IIIs?

Some subset of them, yes. I believe they decided to do minor overhauls on the better ones, but not to keep all 230 in operation. I notice the ones still in service seem to be getting single arm pantographs.

Seems like zero activity with construction since mid-year. I doubt there will be service to Andover before 2020 at this pace. A brand new Tappan Zee Bridge will be finished before service to Andover starts.

Dcell wrote:Seems like zero activity with construction since mid-year. I doubt there will be service to Andover before 2020 at this pace. A brand new Tappan Zee Bridge will be finished before service to Andover starts.

I'm still optimistic about service to Scranton by the time I'm reincarnated, assuming I don't have any really bad karma and can wait a century or two before starting my next life here!

Matt Johnson wrote:

Dcell wrote:Seems like zero activity with construction since mid-year. I doubt there will be service to Andover before 2020 at this pace. A brand new Tappan Zee Bridge will be finished before service to Andover starts.

I'm still optimistic about service to Scranton by the time I'm reincarnated, assuming I don't have any really bad karma and can wait a century or two before starting my next life here!

I'm still holding my breath for wires from hoboken to scranton at this point.

In a little less than 5 months and 2 days, this topic will be 10 years old.

morris&essex4ever wrote:In a little less than 5 months and 2 days, this topic will be 10 years old.

I must admit, that is depressing. I think by around this time next year we will have a better idea where this project stands realistically, as today is election day...

25Hz wrote:

morris&essex4ever wrote:In a little less than 5 months and 2 days, this topic will be 10 years old.

I must admit, that is depressing. I think by around this time next year we will have a better idea where this project stands realistically, as today is election day...

And we all know who's gonna win. I don't think it wold have mattered who won anyway.