ryanov wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:52 am
Plenty of previous threads on here about this.
I have never seen anything about it before, so my apologies.
EuroStar wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 7:04 am
Even if there were enough engineers and equipment to run something like this the demand simply is not there to justify running this on top of the regular weekend schedule which already allows for this sort of trip (albeit at the expense of extra time to make the Secaucus connections). NJT is not (and should not) be in the business of providing an express beach train for a few Bergen county residents. Unless there are 400+ people who are willing to make the trip every weekend, the train cannot even hope to break even and a cash strapped agency cannot afford to waste its resources on something like this.
You could be right, you could be wrong. I'd like to see a study of what potential ridership is. With the advent of Secaucus Junction and the track-re route that came with it, this can operate either via the PVL, Main, or Bergen. It should be fairly easy to compile the EZ Pass data for GSP exits serving NJCL communities and see where/what time the majority of cars are entering the turnpike/parkway and that would at least give you a place to start the next level of research. If there is in fact enough demand to run a train then this is absolutely something that should be operating. Outright saying there's no demand, NJT should serve this purpose, blah blah blah is akin to LIRR having never been operating late night service and saying bah, LIRR shouldn't run service for people to get drunk in the city. Yet look at how packed those trains are.
I don't think anybody would be stupid enough to suggest robbing Peter to pay Paul, especially for something like this, so the idea of screwing commuters to provide leisure service is not even to be discussed (even though it happens every summer on the LIRR). The manpower shortage is very real and NJT/State of NJ badly needs to get its shit together, but it doesn't mean this doesn't merit at least looking into. Just as bad is saying well if one part of the state gets it then every part of the state should get it. Also not true. If existing visitor trends to the shore indicate a high enough number of visitors from a certain region to merit a train, then that area should get it. If the numbers don't justify your area getting the train, you don't get the train. It's a very simple concept.