New NJTransit Schedules Effective 9/7

[Yankees1]

https://www.njtransit.com/var/var_servl ... n=InformTo

Mainly restoring NYP service on the M&E/MoBo, but also some NJCL adjustments. More service to Avenel (Weekend and off-peak), as well as keeping one of the round-trip trains that was re-routed to Hoboken for track work permanent.

Doesn't this adjustment open up one of those valuable rush hour slots to NYPenn? The trains re-routed to Hoboken used to arrive at NYPenn at 7:30 AM or so, and leave at 5:40 PM or so. I wonder what they will do with this slot- maybe give it to RVL finally?

[EuroStar]

This only seems to reverse the "most recent" schedule adjustments from the beginning of the summer. We shall see if they eventually reverse the other schedule adjustments that were implemented earlier due to the engineer shortage.

My best guess is that RVL will not get the slot into Penn. It will most likely disappear in "readjustment" to improve the on-time performance.

[Yankees1]

Yeah, my fear is that they think that this one extra Hoboken train will make people forget about the other 3-4 Hoboken trains they originally cut for service adjustments. They still let you travel via Secaucus for no extra fee if you have a Hoboken ticket to anywhere in the Newark division; I wonder how much longer that will last.

[pumpers]

... They still let you travel via Secaucus for no extra fee if you have a Hoboken ticket to anywhere in the Newark division....

Meaning simply you can start/end your trip at NY Penn station instead of Hoboken for any destination/origin in the Hoboken division? Or is there more to it than that?

[EuroStar]

Last weekend, I was definitely charged the extra for switching between a Northeast Corridor train and a Main Line train at Secaucus when I bought my ticket, so I am not even sure if the extra fee was ever eliminated. My destination was not Hoboken though.

[Yankees1]

Traditionally, if you traveled between on the Newark Division (NEC,NJCL,RVL) to/from Hoboken via one of the direct NJCL or RVL trains between Newark Penn and Hoboken, you paid the same price for a Hoboken ticket as a Newark ticket. However, if you traveled on the Newark division to/from Hoboken via Secaucus on the Main line, you still paid $4 and change extra for the terminal fee.

When they cut some of the NJCL Hoboken trains, they made it so that if you're traveling between a stop on the RVL, NEC, or NJCL and Hoboken, you can transfer at Secaucus to a Main Line train without paying the terminal fee. You just have to show one of the gate attendants your ticket and they will open the gate for you.

[pumpers]

Yankees1, Eurostar,
I just checked on the NJ Transit advanced trip planner. https://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet ... tineraryTo
I see what you mean.
If you take the 7:48 AM Long Branch train direct to Hoboken, you pay $12.00
If you get off that same train at Newark Penn Station, you also pay $12.00

If you take the 7:10 AM Long Branch train to Newark Penn you also pay $12.00. But if you continue on it to Secaucus Transfer and change to get to Hoboken, you pay $12.00 + $4.25 extra = 16.25.

So IF this website info is correct, they have already stopped waiving the extra fee.

Note also, the simple trip planner site (the one at the left on https://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet ... on=TrainTo ) gives a fare of $16.25 for all Long Branch to Hoboken trips (it lists all connections and does not break out price for each one), but also at the end says:

Some trips to/from Hoboken can be completed by transferring at Secaucus Junction. Fares for trips requiring a Secaucus transfer are slightly higher than those for direct trips. The fares presented above represent the higher "via Secaucus" fare. To view lower fares for direct trains, please use our Advanced Trip Planner.

[Yankees1]

@Pumpers see the top of page 2 at the link below, right under the fare table:

* Until further notice, Hoboken-bound passengers may travel via Secaucus at the normal Hoboken fare by presenting their Hoboken ticket/pass to
the faregate attendant.

It's in really small font; I wonder if this was on purpose so not many people catch on. This schedule is the upcoming one that was just released today, so it should be allowed through next Spring. They already have the January and February holdays on it. You will see this message on the NEC and RVL timetables as well.

https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/upcoming/R0080.pdf

[jamesinclair]

I was really hoping theyd make adjustments for reliability.

My morning train is 6 minutes late every day. On the dot. It results in the next two trains also being 5-10 minutes late.

Every day. Rain or shine.

Maybe make the schedule reflect actual trip times?

[pumpers]

@Pumpers see the top of page 2 at the link below, right under the fare table:

* Until further notice, Hoboken-bound passengers may travel via Secaucus at the normal Hoboken fare by presenting their Hoboken ticket/pass to
the faregate attendant.

It's in really small font; I wonder if this was on purpose so not many people catch on. This schedule is the upcoming one that was just released today, so it should be allowed through next Spring. They already have the January and February holdays on it. You will see this message on the NEC and RVL timetables as well.

https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/upcoming/R0080.pdf

So the fare information I quoted from the NJ Transit trip planner web pages is just plain wrong! Surprise surprise...

[Roadgeek Adam]

The Avenel service is more the highlight to me. For a station that 17-18 years ago was on the brink of closing completely due to lack of ADA accessibility, this basically makes Avenel a permanent stop forever.

Unfortunately if you're into railfanning, it results in the fact that trains won't speed through Avenel anymore.

[ryanov]

Or into going anyplace other than Avenel at a reasonable speed.

[jamesinclair]

Or into going anyplace other than Avenel at a reasonable speed.

Good think the NJCL is so speedy

[andrewjw]

@Pumpers see the top of page 2 at the link below, right under the fare table:

* Until further notice, Hoboken-bound passengers may travel via Secaucus at the normal Hoboken fare by presenting their Hoboken ticket/pass to
the faregate attendant.

It's in really small font; I wonder if this was on purpose so not many people catch on. This schedule is the upcoming one that was just released today, so it should be allowed through next Spring. They already have the January and February holdays on it. You will see this message on the NEC and RVL timetables as well.

https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/upcoming/R0080.pdf

So the fare information I quoted from the NJ Transit trip planner web pages is just plain wrong! Surprise surprise...

The Trip Planner is not wrong, per se. A connecting ticket through Secaucus has never been discounted, so the Trip Planner technically quotes you the correct price. It just fails to notify you that you could buy a Hoboken ticket and it would be valid for that route.

[njtmnrrbuff]

The new residential development is probably one of the reasons why Avenel will have more trains stopping there than it has and even though it might add time for passengers starting from a station further down, it helps people who live in the northern part of Woodbridge.