Railroad Forums
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Butlershops wrote:Its easier than you all think. As I said they would shuffle/cycle between Secaucus Jct. and Butler yards (not Paterson and Sparta). Yes some signal and track work between Butler-Bloomingdale and Hawthorne. IIRC SU-99 runs late and should not be an issue. SU-100 would have to leave much earlier or later.BlockLine_4111 wrote:Best way to get something started is to "fast cycle" 2 sets between Butler and Secaucus Transfer.According to Bob Scheurle's web page:
A train would take at least 4 hours to depart Hoboken, get to Sparta, and return to Hoboken. The connection at Suscon is still not working, the hand-thrown switch and derail on track 2 at Hawthorne would have to be utilized. Then the hand-thrown switch on the NYSW would have to be operated. The speed limit between Riverside and Butler in 25 MPH, and 30 MPH between Butler and Lime (Sparta). Note that the proposed schedule in the above link assumes faster track speeds.
If equipment is deadheaded west in the morning there will be inevitable conflicts with SU-100 freights. If equipment is deadheaded east in the evening there will be conflicts with westbound SU-99 freights.
Shuttling the equipment between Paterson and Sparta isn't much better. The signal system around Paterson is not set up for this and will be cumberson at best. Reverse moves would have to be made a restricted speed and trains would have to be held at Mill and Suscon while these moves are made.
How can anything can be "fast cycled" in this situation? The best that could be done is two trains per rush hour. That sounds like pitiful service to me.
$6 million in federal funding aids Passaic-Bergen rail link(BergenRecord.com article)
A proposed rail line connecting Passaic and Bergen counties moved closer to reality with Monday's announcement of $6 million in federal funding.
The funding will be used for several purposes, including buying diesel-powered rail cars for the route that is expected to connect Hawthorne and Hackensack with several stops in Paterson, Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson, said in a written statement.
NJ Transit has committed $10 million to the project, which is expected to cost between $50 million and $150 million and take two to three years to complete.
The federal money will fund additional planning and environmental remediation along the route and help negotiate an agreement with the freight line that owns the tracks that the commuter trains would use, said Ed Farmer, a Pascrell spokesman.
The line would include nine stops in Passaic County and three in Bergen, Farmer said. It would connect to the planned Xanadu entertainment complex at the Meadowlands Sports Complex site and the Secaucus Transfer station. Eventually, the line could be extended to Pompton Lakes.
A long-sought commuter rail link that would help move people through congested southern Passaic and Bergen counties is getting a boost after $15 million in federal funds were approved for the project....and it's still about the Colorado Aeros that Rothman rode yrs ago
It would put self-propelled diesel commuter rail cars on an existing freight line linking Hawthorne and Paterson to Hackensack. The funds were part of a transportation bill approved by Congress last week.
``This is a big step,'' U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-Paterson, told The Star-Ledger of Newark. ``This is tremendous in terms of economic development, and it's great transportation policy to get people out of their cars to cut down on congestion.''
Supporters believe the rail link would provide an economic engine for the area. Pascrell said he would like to see the project break ground in 2007.
Trains on the Passaic-Bergen line would make multiple stops in Hawthorne and Paterson and would run every 15 minutes. Officials have not determined the stops in Bergen County yet.
The initial leg would stop a short walk from Hackensack University Medical Center, the largest employer in Bergen County, Hackensack Mayor Jack Zisa said.
However, some are concerned about possible plans to eventually extend commuter service north on the New York, Susquehanna and Western freight line. They fear doing so would open up areas for dense development. Officials counter such a plan would require years of discussion.
