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  • Newark Penn Staion

  • Discussion related to New Jersey Transit rail and light rail operations.
Discussion related to New Jersey Transit rail and light rail operations.

Moderators: lensovet, Kaback9, nick11a

 #1479032  by Regardie
 
So here is something that has been puzzling me for a while, Amtrak gave Newark Penn Station to NJ Transit years ago, so the upkeep of the station is NJT's responsibility. Who is responsible for the track infrastructure, NJT or Amtrak? This spring they had tracks 4 and 5 closed a few weekends doing what looked like emergency repairs to sections of the track in the station, replacing and shimming plates where the ties were really worn down. That work happened the same time Amtrak was replacing large sections of track 4 and the turnout to Conrail west of the station, was all that work done by Amtrak?
 #1479051  by EuroStar
 
While I am not sure which agency the crew that did the work belongs to, I believe that the tracks are Amtrak's as is the catenary. Someone with more knowledge of the Newark Penn Station deal might be able top fill in more of the details, but I suspect that even for the station Amtrak retained ownership, but assigned maintenance and whatever else related to the passenger platforms and concourses to NJT.
 #1479223  by R36 Combine Coach
 
NWK is NJT operated and maintained (with possible exception of trackage). It was transferred to NJT in 1984 after being sold to private investors, with NJT being the controlling day-to-day entity. NJTPD has jurisdiction.

Trenton Transit Center is also 100% NJT (except trackage).
 #1479255  by OportRailfan
 
Regardie wrote:So here is something that has been puzzling me for a while, Amtrak gave Newark Penn Station to NJ Transit years ago, so the upkeep of the station is NJT's responsibility. Who is responsible for the track infrastructure, NJT or Amtrak? This spring they had tracks 4 and 5 closed a few weekends doing what looked like emergency repairs to sections of the track in the station, replacing and shimming plates where the ties were really worn down. That work happened the same time Amtrak was replacing large sections of track 4 and the turnout to Conrail west of the station, was all that work done by Amtrak?
All that work done on the rails, roadbed, signal, electric traction, bridges, trestles, etc. are the responsibilities of Amtrak employees within each craft. So to answer your question, Amtrak Track dept maintains the tracks, C&S the signals, phones, and communications, ET - the catenary and traction power, B&B - buildings, bridges, and overhead trestles east and west of the station, etc.

And those were block ties getting replaced on tracks 4 and 5 in the station.
 #1479582  by ThirdRail7
 
Regardie wrote: That work happened the same time Amtrak was replacing large sections of track 4 and the turnout to Conrail west of the station, was all that work done by Amtrak?
The turnout at NK and the Aldene connection work that caused bustitutions was a Conrail project.
 #1479890  by twropr
 
What is the status of the project to extend the platform length on TK 5? I believe this project started even before the slowly progressing third track in DE?
Andy
 #1480373  by ThirdRail7
 
If you're talking about the proposed extension that would have allowed passengers to exit on the west of the station and access the old CNJ bridge to reach the Prudential Center, I believe that project was squashed a long time ago.
 #1509635  by Regardie
 
I wish I could spell and had permissions to fix the topic name that I screwed up last year.

Anyway, after replacing the wooden block ties on track 5 last fall / early winter, they laid 40 foot sections of track bolted together to get through the winter. A couple of months ago they dropped welded rail in between tracks 4 and 5, I'm guessing to replace the short pieces when the temperature is somewhere in the middle of the usage range.

Then they dropped a bunch of welded rail for track 4 and track A and 1. Last Monday May 20, the platform for track 1 was shut down indefinitely to do the block tie replacement there. I found a quick bit of information about this on the Amtrak site.

https://media.amtrak.com/2019/05/amtrak ... nvestment/

Fair use bit:
Newark Penn Station – Beginning May 20, Amtrak crews will begin a block tie replacement program on tracks 1 and 4 at Newark Penn Station. This includes the total replacement of 95 feet of ties on track 1 and 1,100 feet of ties on track 4. The condition of the existing wooden ties has deteriorated and will be replaced by concrete ties.
It looks like they are doing a lot more than 95 feet of block ties on track 1 as most of them are old and wood like what was on track 5 and still is on track 4. Plus they have stripped back the platform edge on the track 1 platform (platform B?) which you can see clearly from the track A platform and it looks to be in terrible shape so I don't know how much work they will do on that but NJ Transit did all the new platform E / track 5 work so I would think that this platform is also their responsibility.

I can't find any information about platform work on the NJ Transit site so if anyone finds anything I would like to know.

Mods: I kept this in the NJ Transit forum as I haven't seen this work come up in the Amtrak forum but move it if you think it should go.
 #1512032  by lensovet
 
ryanov wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 2:17 am The bridge/park portion is back. What they'll do to connect it to Newark Penn, if anything, I'm not sure.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulberry_Commons" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
so looks like the park opened a few weeks ago? https://www.wbgo.org/post/newark-mulber ... pen-public
WBGO, MAY 30, 2019 wrote: Now that the park is open to the public, Baraka says phase two is set to begin construction, a walking bridge that connects Mulberry Commons to Newark Penn Station and the Ironbound.
 #1512153  by ryanov
 
It did. Pretty nice. No access to it from McCarter Highway, though. You have to walk to the first side street west of it in order to get in or, eventually, through the old Central Graphic Arts building.