Lackawanna Cutoff Passenger Service Restoration

Which train makes it between Dover and Newark in 1 hour and 1 minute? Currently there are no expresses that do not stop anywhere between Dover and Newark. 1070 is semi-local on the Boonton line. Quite a bit of time can be shaved by not stopping anywhere. Operationally and politically that might not be feasible though.

NIMBYkiller wrote:1hr 38min from Stroudsburg to Newark means 1hr 58mins to NYP. With the exception of their 6:50AM bus which takes 2hrs and 10mins, everything Martz between 5am and 7am from E Stroudsburg is between 1hr 25min and 1hr 40min to PABT. That means they've gotta shave a minimum of 20 mins off the Phoebe Snow schedule to make it competitive.

Are those scheduled times or actual times? And how long is the return trip? Any proposed rail service does not have to be faster than bus service, just more reliable. Some people will always choose to travel by bus or car, even with comparable rail options, but I do think you would see enough ridership to make it worthwhile.

Oops! Forgot to cross reference Boonton schedules this time, my bad! I'm wondering how much time could be shaved by running non-stop from Dover to Newark. Also, wonder how much more that could be cut down by if the NY & Greenwood Lake branch was brought back and hooked into Gateway. I'm just pitching hypotheticals here.

I agree a reliable product has its benefits, especially with Martz having a serious driver shortage and having to cancel runs constantly, but assuming they get it together again, the train would have no advantage over the bus. I don't know about you, but my life is worth more than giving up an additional 40 mins a day on my commute. I don't know how close to making those posted schedules they are, but if it wasn't at least close on a regular basis, the commuters would have convinced them to correct it. Outbound is 1hr 30min to 1hr 45min with the exception of the 6:10pm bus that is 2 hours.

What do you mean by the NY&Greenwood Lake Branch? Multiple sections are abandoned. The stretch from Mountain View to Pompton Junction is in better shape than the stretch from Montclair to Secaucus. Those days are over. NS let it go to weeds.

NIMBYkiller wrote:Oops! Forgot to cross reference Boonton schedules this time, my bad! I'm wondering how much time could be shaved by running non-stop from Dover to Newark. Also, wonder how much more that could be cut down by if the NY & Greenwood Lake branch was brought back and hooked into Gateway. I'm just pitching hypotheticals here.

Apart from the fact that the branch practically does not exist any more, this will miss Newark Broad. Missing a big destination in order to save 2-3 minutes for commuters to NY Penn is not worth it. Stopping in Newark is important.

Roadgeek Adam wrote:What do you mean by the NY&Greenwood Lake Branch? Multiple sections are abandoned. The stretch from Mountain View to Pompton Junction is in better shape than the stretch from Montclair to Secaucus. Those days are over. NS let it go to weeds.

Just a point of clarification. The NYS&W has removed most of the rail on the NY&GL between Jackson Avenue in Pompton Plains and Reyerson Avenue in Wayne.

Yes, I know, but the right-of-way is in much better shape between Mtn View & Pompton Jct than it is east of West Arlington station.

I agree that serving Newark is important, I was just asking out of curiosity.

Traffic is up on PNERRA line:

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/busine ... -1.2287545" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad Co. carried a record 8,572 carloads of goods across the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority’s system, according to authority figures.

Business has turned so good the railroad plans to seek state grants to double up on track on the authority’s 18-mile Scranton-to-Carbondale line. That means installing parallel track for one to two miles, creating rail where cars can be stored, Ransom said.

EuroStar wrote:The only way to make the trip times competitive with the bus is to run the trains express between Dover and Newark with no more than one intermediate stop. This will need to be similar to the way Metro-North runs from Port Jervis (express between Secaucus and Suffern with some runs having the intermediate stop at Route 17). Pennsylvania will need to pay for these expresses. I-80 between Wayne and NYC will need to become a parking lot before Pennsylvania pays, therefore you will not see them in your lifetime.

I live in Wayne and I've got news for you at rush hour Route 80 from Wayne to Ridgefield Park (in BOTH directions) which is a stones throw away from NY doesn't move. It can take 45-60 minutes (if theres an accident its even worse) to go that 15 mile stretch.

EB/WB from 630am-900am and WB from 230PM to 7:30PM with EB traffic 400PM to 730PM. is the avoid at all costs hour.

It doesn't hurt to call or email your local representatives to let them know if you support this project. With the looming federal infrastructure bill, there will be available funds to at least start on the restoration of the Cut-Off. Congressman Matt Cartwright from PA is on the House Appropriations Committee and is a strong supporter of the project. Who knows, maybe we will finally see some movement.

https://cartwright.house.gov/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With the culvert issue resolved, it there any progress on construction?

The American Cockroach or the common field mouse may be holding this up. They were seen protesting on the track bed about having their squatting rights removed, as they've been able to live freely on railroad land for so long.

Has anyone seen or heard of any movement on this project lately?

I think with the new administration and the "adjustments" at NJT's administration along with the furor of the PTC issue and deadline, I would think the Cut-off is bumped a bit lower on the priority list.