Rail Trail Rahway Valley & CNJ Aldene to Elizabeth proposed

GSC wrote: ↑Sat Aug 07, 2021 1:26 pm I can understand the Aldene Plan that permitted CNJ to close the entire Jersey City operation. But looking at satellite images of the huge Elizabeth yard with all the traffic it seems to have, I wonder why the route from Aldene to Elizabeth wasn't kept as a direct route for freight. Maybe getting freight from the LV to the CNJ at Aldene was the problem? Is the old route officially abandoned, OOS, or railbanked?

After the Aldene Plan took effect the CNJ Mainline between Elizabethport and Aldene was still busy with CNJ Freights, and the Cranford to Bayonne Shuttle Trains (The Scoots). After Conrail Day(4/1/76), through freight traffic was routed off the CNJ main in favor of the former Leigh Valley main. The Scoots continue to run until August of 1978, and then the line was still used by NJT equipment moves to and from the Elizabethport Shops until the Meadowlands Maintenance Complex opened. Since then it has been dormant for the most part.

One issue with freight trains along the route are low bridge clearances in particular where the CNJ crosses under the NEC. The CNJ did lower track 2 under that bridge (known as the arch) to allow for higher clearance, although it did not stop the horrific wreck on 11/4/72 when as westbound freight was routed onto the wrong track and it took out the westbound passenger station. In this case a dispatcher routed the freight onto a track that was not the high clearance track.

At one point Conrail did post to abandon the line, but IIRC it is listed as being OOS. I thought at one point NJ DOT purchased the ROW, but it does not show on a list of ROW's that NJ DOT purchased.

Given the popularity of attractions around Elizabethport (Jersey Gardens, IKEA, etc) that were a mere pipe dream when the Scoots still ran, the CNJ main remains a given for a light rail line.

Lastly, here is a link to the story and some great pictures about the 11/4/72 wreck.

https://www.jcrhs.org/wreck.html

Ken

Thanks for the history. I have seen some of these pictures before but didn't make the connection to the date. Interestingly, returning from a Legion function in Belleville yesterday, I was in traffic under the old CNJ bridge on McCarter Highway. I pointed it out to another passenger in the car.

Looks like the rail trail is a go.
https://www.nj.com/union/2023/07/abando ... trail.html

Well, some of it, at least...

Fair use quote from the above item:

The plans include converting a section of the railroad tracks into hiking and biking trails from Kenilworth to neighboring Roselle Park. But advocates are also looking at creating a network of trails around the county using other abandoned rail lines.

Railtrail or re-activation of the tracks is going to be pretty difficult. If you follow the ROW from Aldene to Elizabeth where the tracks are active again, there is a TON of infringements on the ROW. And I'm talking about there are buildings, parking lots, etc. infringing on the ROW, which won't be easy to make un-infringe on the ROW

JohnFromJersey wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 1:30 pm Railtrail or re-activation of the tracks is going to be pretty difficult. If you follow the ROW from Aldene to Elizabeth where the tracks are active again, there is a TON of infringements on the ROW. And I'm talking about there are buildings, parking lots, etc. infringing on the ROW, which won't be easy to make un-infringe on the ROW

Not correct unless the infringers have a valid lease from the owner, be it Conrail or the State of NJ, of the right of way. Legally the infringers must upon reasonable notice promptly vacate and if they don't the right of way owner can clear the obstructions and seek reimbursement for the cost by filing an action in court for civil trespass.

JohnFromJersey wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 1:30 pm Railtrail or re-activation of the tracks is going to be pretty difficult. If you follow the ROW from Aldene to Elizabeth where the tracks are active again, there is a TON of infringements on the ROW. And I'm talking about there are buildings, parking lots, etc. infringing on the ROW, which won't be easy to make un-infringe on the ROW

If you look at the parcel ownership for Elizabeth, Roselle and Roselle Park, it's all either the municipality or Conrail. It's not certain, but if everyone wants either a rail trail, a BRT or rail service on those parcels, anyone who might be encroaching is going to be out of luck unless they can somehow demonstrate adverse possession(30 years in NJ).

If any government entity or a railroad owns the property there can be no valid assertion of adverse possession. The ability to acquire an interest in real property by adverse possession is established and governed by New Jersey statute, and that statute exempts government, at all levels including counties, municipalities and agencies, owned property from adverse possession. With respect to property that is owned by a railroad, that is in service or out of service, but not abandoned, that property is governed by federal law which preempts state adverse possession laws. So if Conrail owns this out of service line there can be no adverse possession, transfer requires the railroad to file with the federal Surface Transportation Board for abandonment and approval to transfer title. The tax maps of the relevant municipalities show the right of way as being owned by Conrail.

This's the solution to the crime problems plaguing this ROW. A bike trail will surely solve all crime related issues in our & neighboring towns. This line won't be used for rail service again, much as I'd want us to have more work it's just not gonna happen. This line's like my childhood memories of watching trains here, just a memory. A highly reputable low cost operator like C&D would have no use for this line unless some major business decided to plant it's self along the line. Glad they're doing something with the line besides building those high capacity low income housing units.