North Brunswick Station

ThirdRail7 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 4:37 pm
Not really. You said correctly above. Grade separated terminals are almost mandatory at this point, particularly if you're planning to raise speeds. AS it is, you're at the fringes of 135mph territory and everything must come to a stop if a train needs to head east from County Yard.

Granted, there are plans to raise the diverging speeds through County, but you're still talking about stopping all traffic.

Eliminating JErsey Ave as a terminal is the only other solution because even if you decided to run east on 4, the train would still have to cross over somewhere.

Oh, I was just suggesting that perhaps some less land-intensive solution (a relay track(s) with a flyunder?) maybe feasible/easier to do. As you say, the current setup is completely unsustainable, and has all sorts of knock-on impacts for scheduling, reliability, etc.

Indeed, high-speed switches could remove the need to stop the entire corridor to get a train across.

lensovet wrote: ↑Sat Nov 30, 2019 8:58 pm Indeed, high-speed switches could remove the need to stop the entire corridor to get a train across.

It'd shorten it for sure, but much of the capacity loss would still remain. You still have to hold out all traffic, give the lineup, get the train across, reline, and then give the proceed. Even the best flat junctions in Europe are very much targets for elimination where possible -- those sorts of delays are not acceptable if you're trying to schedule and run a precise, high capacity railroad.

https://www.nj.com/news/2023/02/commute ... utType=amp

Commuters get a preview of the Northeast Corridor’s newest NJ Transit train station
...
The concept design also shows how the station and commuter trains would co-exist with the Amtrak high speed trains running on the same line. It shows a high platform station on what are now the southbound tracks of the Northeast Corridor line, across the tracks from Amtrak’s Adams rail yard. An elevated structure served by elevators and stairs allows riders to cross the tracks.

“With formal approval by NJ Transit and Amtrak of 10 percent of the concept design, the North Brunswick Train Station project has entered the next phase, which is to provide plans which are 30 percent complete,” said Arianna Rosales, Middlesex County spokesperson. “The target submission date for this (set of plans) is set for the Spring of 2023.”

The current timeline calls for final design and engineering to be completed and approved by NJ Transit and Amtrak by Fall 2025, she said.
...
The station also depends on another piece of infrastructure, named the Midline Loop, an overpass to allow NJ Transit trains to cross the corridor without interfering with Amtrak’s faster trains. The Midline Loop has an estimated cost of $306 million according to NJ Transit’s capital plan.

Very surprised a) they chose Adams and b) they chose to island platform it. Seems like it would be easier to double-side it, but I understand the decision making.

Roadgeek Adam wrote: ↑Sat Feb 11, 2023 9:23 pm Very surprised a) they chose Adams and b) they chose to island platform it. Seems like it would be easier to double-side it, but I understand the decision making.

The "island platform" is likely going to be between the 4 track side and the delco lead, there are still plans to eventually make that lead into some kind of commuter line.

Looking at https://www.middlesexcountynj.gov/home/ ... 6495130000, does this mean that northbound trains are going to need to cross all three tracks to get to the platform and then get back onto their track?

lensovet wrote: ↑Mon Feb 13, 2023 6:58 pm Looking at https://www.middlesexcountynj.gov/home/ ... 6495130000, does this mean that northbound trains are going to need to cross all three tracks to get to the platform and then get back onto their track?

I would naively expect this means that only Jersey Avenue trains will stop here northbound, or that this project expects that the "mid-line loop" will come soon and be built as a main track and not a yard track.

The loop is canceled, it will only be for jersey ave trains. Once this is done, the replacement of the entire landscape of jersey ave yard and station will change

Being out of the loop (pun intended), I don't get it, "it" meaning the traffic patterns.

I assume the picture in the link is looking eastbound, with Adams Yard on the right. What good is the access to the westbound inner track (as opposed to the westbound outer track, which is usually used by NJT? (I forget the numbering of the tracks). Could it be that the westbound inner track will be used by eastbound train stops, so have less wrong -way running and switches than they would have if they had to use the westbound outside track?

But if that's the case, when didn't they just extend the glass overpass so they could put a platform to use the outside eastbound track, so no wrong -way running and crossovers would be required for trains from Trenton. It would seem a lot simpler. Probably they could have squeezed that space out of Adams Yard.

And finally, if the trains terminate here, how will they get back to Jersey Ave for the night? Run eastbound on the westbound local track? And if they came down on the westbound outer track in the morning, they could load up there and then eastbound cross over 3 times to get to the eastbound local track. I know that ties up westbounds, but you have to do it somewhere, no?

While I am at it, in the pic, where is the existing industrial track (Delco Lead?) on the westbound side (which I think is supposed to be double-tracked) to store cars in case of floods? , And the pic shows 5 main tracks, where there are now 4. Where does that space come from.?

I admit this has been discussed quite a bit already. Is there a link to a good report which explains it all
Thanks, Jim S

I always thought this would be two simple side platforms - with the fast lines in between. And hopefully the loop to bring terminating services back across - with Trenton service continuing south (would this be a loop line for outer fasts?) - but this sounds way more convoluted

I think you guys are all missing the point here. This platform is being put in to EXTEND current JERSEY AVE service. Nothing to do with trenton service!!!

The trains stopping here will be anything that currently stops at Jersey ave. The trains terminating in jersey ave will return to the yard the way they came. Theres a bigger part to this project that includes electrifying the Delco lead and completely replacing the jersey ave station as we know it as well as the yard.

pumpers wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 9:48 am What good is the access to the westbound inner track (as opposed to the westbound outer track, which is usually used by NJT? (I forget the numbering of the tracks). Could it be that the westbound inner track will be used by eastbound train stops, so have less wrong -way running and switches than they would have if they had to use the westbound outside track?

What you think is the WB express is the WB local, and what you think is the WB local is the "delco lead" currently a freight track. There are 3 non-platforming tracks on the east (far) side, not 2.

While we are on the topic of the Delco lead, when do they plan to work on the track that the directs use? It’s in rough shape and the trains lean over a bit when they go over it.

ApproachMedium wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 11:36 pm I think you guys are all missing the point here. This platform is being put in to EXTEND current JERSEY AVE service. Nothing to do with trenton service!!!

The trains stopping here will be anything that currently stops at Jersey ave. The trains terminating in jersey ave will return to the yard the way they came. Theres a bigger part to this project that includes electrifying the Delco lead and completely replacing the jersey ave station as we know it as well as the yard.

Oh thanks, that makes more sense.

Article says loop is not cancelled though?