ns3010 wrote:firthorfifth06 wrote:I believe it has been noted on other threads that NS uses the line from Washington NJ, thereby making full service to Hackettstown (all 800 and 1000 series trains) impossible unless a second track is built to accommodate passenger trains only.
Partially true, but H-02 only runs to Washington on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
If H-02 were to run ahead of train A, it would have left NJT territory and entered the Washington Secondary before Train A reaches Htown. While H-02 makes its way from H-town to Washington and back, NJT trains B, C, and D make their runs to Htown. Just as H-02 approaches Htown on its way east, train E is on its way west, say in MO, almost to Htown. So H-02 just waits somewhere west of COOK. As train E changes ends and runs back east to Hoboken, H-02 can follow it out, and be back to double trackage before train F reaches Lk Hopatcong.
1) For full (or at least more) service to Hackettstown, H-02 is out of the way 99% of the time.
2) Adding a second track is impossible, because the track runs through many cuts, and behind tons of backyards.
I wouldn't call it impossible. Expensive, yes. Implausible in spots, yes. But, there are quite a few spots conducive to having two tracks.
Also, NS H02 waits usually about 50 yards from the Crossing in Hackettstown when waiting for a train to turn east. While waiting, many times NJT an NS crews patronize the local Quick Chek.
Schedule holes are built in for the H02 to get back and forth within a reasonable amount of time.
Another thing NJT would have to do is shorten the length of the blocks west of Lake Hopatcong. Bear in mind, with not many trains out there, they are pretty long blacks, meaning, if you're on the tails of a train, you're operating on approach or stop and proceeds (or a stop at Olive) for a fair bit as you shadow the train west to Hackettstown. The trip is long enough already.
Quite simply, the shorter the blocks, the more trains you can have operating on that track at higher speeds.