River LINE grand opening

I heard that a couple Union Pacific locomotives were operating in South Jersey on Saturday, so I decided to take a short ride on the River LINE to see what was in Pavonia Yard.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/111 ... 2816ONEBtF

A long line of power started with NS GP15-1 #1426 (in Conrail paint), CSX GP40-2 #4424, NS high short hood GP38-2 #5222. A UP engine was near the far end, obscured by hundreds of freight cars on several tracks.

I got on the River LINE at 36th Street in Pennsauken and got on the first train that arrived, southbound car #3514, operating as a single.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/118 ... 9161TeBwLZ

It was PACKED! Passengers remarked that a number of people had opted not to get on. I was mentally disparaging the morons at the Boondoggle for operating single car trains again when there were reports of overcrowding on Saturday with two-car trains.

I rescinded my negative thoughts when I got off at Rand and got on the two-car northbound train. A two-car train was deadheading down to Waterfront to replace 3514 as the next northbound.

I got off the two-car northbound at Delran.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/118 ... 9652JekJaY

The southbound was running late because it was another single and was packed. The northbound that left the Route 73 station had to wait to enter the single track in Palmyra until we arrived. It sat for another two minutes after we cleared before proceeding.

I photographed the interior of our car (3504) as we left 36th Street.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/118 ... 0351RMBnXH

The two-car northbound left Rand as we were pulling in southbound. All seats were occupied, but there was standing room available.

About 50 passengers disembarked at Aquarium Station, nearly all headed to the NJ State Aquarium. I suspect the Aquarium will see a business increase as a result of River LINE service.

3514 was on the layup track south of Waterfront when we arrived.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/118 ... 0863BOJvpl

I boarded 3504 and photographed 3514 through the south end railfan window.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/118 ... 1476EJDKVb

We left Waterfront on time at 2:15. At Aquarium (first stop) our train became Standing Room Only!

At Rand a dozen frustrated would-be passengers chose not to get on because there was no more standing room available. Somebody at the River LINE should wake up and realize that people are trying to ride their trains on weekends and many are being disappointed by lack of capacity.

I stood in the left side doorway to get the photo that is linked at the top of this message. That made for an easy exit at 36th Street, the first northbound station with a left-side platform.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/118 ... 2143APkkej

I have intended to take my grandson on the River LINE, but will either try to find a way to do it on a weekday or will postpone it until the crowds subside or the operating people figure out how to provide adequate service on weekends.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/751 ... 7256lmykLT

Bob

Well I rode the river line myself last wednesday 3-19 on the 10am train to camden and I liked the trains, the interior, and the route itself. But there was a only a handful of people on our train and the Florence Park and Ride lots were a ghost town. So it seems clear to me at first this is a recreational route more successful on the weekends. And if you want to ride the line with a guaranteed seat just ride it on a weekday. But like i said I liked and sure it will pickup ridership in the weekdays and it will do well

Jack

Near the Florence station, there is an interchange with the NJ Turnpike connector from the Penn Turnpike. I have used it to get from US 130 to the northbound Turnpike. Is that interchange four-way, that is, can folks from Pennsylvania get off at US 130 and reach the River Line in a minute or two? If it is a four-way interchange, it should help draw traffic to the River Line. I claim that railroads now need two kinds of stations: those convenient to a destination (work, home, stadium, etc.) and some stations "out in the sticks" where parking is convenient with easy access to other highways. That is why Harriman (NY) is a popular station (attractive parking), and why Tanger (Riverhead, NY) should get a platform (a popular destination for shoppers). The planners of River Line made a good choice providing both Burlington Towne Centre and Burlington South, one central to the town, the other with space for parking. I would hope that Florence picks up traffic off the nearby highways. When folks complain about the investment in River Line, I note the huge investment already made in Interstate construction between Bordentown and Trenton.

A more in depth article on the problem with connections due to the time restrictions on the line.

http://www.nj.com/news/times/mercer/ind ... 230090.xml

I just did a little exploring, and have a fast and dirty solution to the problem. I'm surprised NJT didn't come up with it.

I just took a look at the Florence station. West to east, there is a dedicated freight track, the southbound passenger main, an island platform, and the northbound passenger main.

So, the last move before the bewitching hour of 10 PM every Sunday through Thursday night should be a deadhead equipment move, that places a set of equipment at the northbound platform. The equipment gets shut down, and spends the night there, safely in the clear.

Next morning, say 5:30 or so, an operator and a mechanic come to Florence, make their inspection, and fire the thing up; right at 6 AM the operator runs the set to Trenton, arriving maybe twenty minutes later.

This would get Florence, Roebling, Bordentown, and South Trenton passengers to the NEC sooner. Also, there are around 1000 total parking spaces in those lots. I drove past them all this afternoon; maybe 20 cars max. were in each lot. I'm sure they would get used-

A more expensive version of this idea would be to have a switch and a carbarn just across the driveway, south-east of the Florence station. If the switch can go in for 100K, and another 100K for a pole barn with fencing, the whole thing shouldn't cost more than a quarter million. (Peanuts on top of a billion dollar project, right?)

Of course, it they had done this with real trains instead of "vehicles", and if the hill track was intact in Trenton, they could have offered diesel push-pull service up the corridor, ending in Hoboken. I like the idea, restoration of service, but still am not convinced that DMUs were the answer. Time will tell-

Sounds reasonable, but Conrail has the exclusive right to the line, including what you refer to as dedicted light rail lines. I suspect that they will balk if NJT parks an LRT at the station as impairing the exclusivity.

So put in a switch and build a carbarn- (or just a short siding).

Hey, as long as you're buying, why not?

As a matter of fact I am buying- I'm (an) NJT; New Jersey Taxpayer.

Of course, it they had done this with real trains instead of "vehicles", and if the hill track was intact in Trenton, they could have offered diesel push-pull service up the corridor, ending in Hoboken. I like the idea, restoration of service, but still am not convinced that DMUs were the answer. Time will tell-

That was my opinion at first too, that light rail was not the way to go. But after seeing the line in revenue operation, I have changed that opinion. There would be no way that NJT would or could run thirty minute headways on the line with heavy rail. And fifteen minute headways, forget about it! Light rail provides this versatility, and I believe it is more appealing to the public than heavy rail. I dont think ridership levels would be nearly as high with heavy rail and a train that runs every two hours....

Per NJ-ARP, River LINE ridership is a steady 3700 weekdays, with 5000 per day last weekend.

http://www.nj-arp.org/hot460.html#snjlrt

EDM5970 wrote: So, the last move before the bewitching hour of 10 PM every Sunday through Thursday night should be a deadhead equipment move, that places a set of equipment at the northbound platform. The equipment gets shut down, and spends the night there, safely in the clear.

looks like somebody was listening for weekday service.
I remember sometime in 2005? there was an early morning Florence to Trenton run.
There were also early morning Riverton and Riverside to Camden runs.
How did they do it? I never got to check them out, I was a Burlington to Philly commuter.

Nowadays they store 2 cars in the rebuilt, fenced in stub end siding just south of Burlington South. They've fooled around with the arrangement, but essentially both cars pull out south onto the main line, change ends, run north to Burlington South and/or Burlington Town Center station, then split, one car continues north, the other goes back south. Those 2 cars seem to handle the former Florence north and Riverside south runs.
Following them as the first southbound from Trenton was a 2 car train which split at Burlington South, the back car then became the 2nd northbound into Trenton.

Today's schedule seems to have retained the 2 cars spending the night at Burlington South, but it looks like they converted the 2nd train which used to split into 2 separate complete Camden-Trenton runs, except the northbound seems to originate as a Rt 73 trip that turns at Walter Rand.

I'm guessing that all this early, and its corresponding late night return the equipment moves, service was due to negotiations and signal improvements that eased the freight-passenger time segregations. Does anyone know details?

Also what's the rebuilt siding just north of Rt 73 station for? I no longer work in Philly, I was last by there in early October, looks like they're sending that siding into a newly built steel shed.

Holy Thread revival!

Many changes have taken place since most of this thread was posted. [My subwayspot photos went away and Webshots photos got revised url's] The River LINE was superelevated to allow faster operation on curves, higher speed turnouts were installed, permission was obtained to operate at 65 mph instead of 60, and the shared River LINE/Conrail trackage south of Route 73 was converted to an interlocking so River LINE and Conrail can both operate, which they do between 10 PM and shortly after midnight.

Bob