M & E passenger service?

I thought on an idea: M & E could get back to revenue passenger service, this time as a commuter shuttle between Morristown and Roseland. Commuters who live in towns along the line (eg. East Hanover, Cedar Knolls, Roseland, Livingston) and workers at businesses along the line could ride the train to work. Connections would be available at Morristown for NJ Transit service to NY, Hoboken and Newark. See my proposed timetable below (pardon the mess)

BTW, today (8/28/04) is the Morristown & Erie Railway 101st birthday.

Morristown & Erie Railway

Passenger/Local Commuter service
M & E Main Line

Weekdays-to Morristown/Hoboken/Newark/New York
Train 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Zone AM AM AM AM AM PM PM PM
4 Roseland 6:00 6:46 7:30 8:30 11:35 2:25 5:35 8:00
3 East Hanover-River Rd. 6:04 11:39 2:29 8:05
3 East Hanover-Deforest Av 6:07 6:52 7:36 8:36 11:42 2:32 5:42 8:08
2 Whippany 6:11 6:56 7:40 8:40 11:46 2:36 5:46 8:13
2 Hanover-Jefferson Rd 6:14 6:59 7:42 8:42 11:49 2:39 5:49 8:16
1 Cedar Knolls 6:16 7:01 7:44 8:44 11:52 2:42 5:52 8:19
1 Morristown-Ridgedale Av 6:20 7:06 7:49 8:48 11:56 2:47 5:56 8:24
Morristown 6:23 7:09 7:52 8:51 11:59 2:50 5:58 8:28
ar. Hoboken C7:59 C8:32 C9:01 C10:38 C1:56 C4:27 C6:59 C9:54
ar. New York C 7:40 C8:16 C8:55 C10:04 C1:31 C4:21 C7:05 C9:46

Weekdays-from Morristown/Hoboken/Newark/New York
Train 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17

Zone AM AM AM PM PM PM PM PM PM
lv. New York C6:31 C7:51 C9:07 C12:12 C3:15 C4:12 C5:18 C6:05 C7:26
lv. Hoboken C6:37 C7:56 C8:50 C11:45 C3:02 C3:55 C5:11 C5:59 C7:06
Morristown 8:00 9:16 10:20 1:31 4:30 5:08 6:28 7:05 8:30
1 Morristown-Ridgedale Av 8:02 9:18 10:22 1:33 4:32 5:10 6:30 7:08 8:32
1 Cedar Knolls 8:06 9:22 10:26 1:37 4:36 5:14 6:34 7:12 8:36
2 Hanover-Jefferson Rd 8:09 9:25 10:29 1:40 4:39 5:16 6:36 7:15 8:39
2 Whippany 8:12 9:28 10:32 1:43 4:42 5:19 6:39 7:18 8:42
3 East Hanover-Deforest Av 8:16 9:32 10:36 1:48 4:46 5:23 6:43 7:22 8:46
3 East Hanover-River Rd 8:19 9:35 4:48 6:46 8:49
4 Roseland 8:23 9:39 10:44 1:56 4:53 5:31 6:50 7:30 8:54

C-Change trains at Morristown for service to points marked

Fares
One way Weekly Monthly Reduced
Zone(s)
1 1.75 16.00 49.00 .80
2 2.20 18.75 62.00 1.00
3 2.90 24.00 76.00 1.30
4 3.25 27.50 91.00 1.50

Combination one-way/monthly/weekly tickets with NJ Transit available.

Fares to/from NY/Newark/Hoboken

1 9.25 14.00 262.00 4.25
2 9.75 14.50 273.00 4.40
3 10.40 15.50 282.00 4.90
4 10.75 15.75 288.00 5.30

Wow, I like your proposals, but unfortuntunatley it probably will all be a pipe dream........The only way I can see M&E trully getting into the commuter rail business is if........

A. NY&GL service from Benson Street to Hoboken is a success and a model for future freight railroads to try commuter service....

B. M&E freight traffic dries up to the point of 0 customers left...

C. Gas prices go up to $5.00 per gallon....

D. NJT ceases to exist as a NJ gov't agency


Steve

One possibility for passenger service would be this:

Union County restores the CNJ from Aldene to Elizabeth.

The M&E gets permission from NJT to run out of Cranford station.

This is a pipe dream, of course, but appropriate for a bulletin board.

Roseland to Morristown service along the Morristown & Erie was actually listed as a "project for futher study" on the old NJ Transit Vision 2020 map that has now long since disappeared. Bob Scheurle may still have a copy posted on his NJ Transit web site.

Welcome back Ben!!! Haven't seen you on these forums since the old ones.......

Steve P.

Love the idea, but as discussed in the old forums, just a dream...

M & E could buy P40's from Amtrak and use "Slider" Comet I's for this service.

There was a guy that wanted to by the dinkey from nj transitl. That nevr got anywhere, dont think this one will eather. and don't they have some Amtrack E units?

This project does appear on the map. It is project # 30. The link is below. I agree that it will be a long wait for this to come about, if ever. Re-activating service using the Mn & E and the Caldwell Branch to Great Notch would probably have made even more sense. File that idea under "things that won't happen".

http://www.nj.com/njtransit/agate.ssf?/ ... t2020.html