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  • American Dream Opening and Expanded Meadowlands Rail Service

  • 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

 #1514906  by MACTRAXX
 
GojiMet86 wrote: Mon Jul 22, 2019 7:00 pm
Hawaiitiki wrote: Mon Jul 22, 2019 3:27 am Phil Murphy should use his business acumen to get the mall to subsidize electrification to the Meadowlands from the junction outside the Bergen Tunnels as a trade-off for service.

It is a sin that electrification wasn't more seriously considered when that branch was built. The benefit having high capacity, quick acceleration vehicles servicing major events would make a world of difference on that nightmare experience that everyone traveling to the stadium by train experiences. Not to mention, it would allow NJT to use its entire fleet for major events.

Diesel traction can't and hasn't been able to keep up with the amount of people that use the Meadowlands branch during events, and it is stain on the region for all visitors and locals who have undoubtedly been stuck in the cattle line there. (or worse...stranded)
Wait, the Meadowlands spur doesn't have electrification? I thought it was electric the whole. Weren't the electric trains from New Haven coming into the Meadowlands directly?
GJM: The through trains from New Haven, CT were actually just Trenton trains that were extended
eastward on to Metro North with a crew change at NYP. A MNCR crew staffed the train to and from NHV.

The train run from New Haven westward became a NJT Trenton train with the crew change at NYP.
MNCR passengers bound for the Meadowlands changed trains at Secaucus Junction.

This special Meadowlands game service showed that train service through NYP can work with cooperation...

I do agree about the Meadowlands spur line being electrified. NJT could use a dedicated fleet of Arrow 3 cars
to operate the shuttle trains to and from Hoboken allowing the service to be faster and more frequent...

MACTRAXX
 #1518495  by jamesinclair
 
Theyve started scheduling new bus runs to American Dream.

Effective 8/31:
HOBOKEN
Bus 85 gets extended to mall + gets service bump from hourly to 30 minutes
Old:
https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T0085.pdf
New:
https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/upcoming/T0085.pdf

PATERSON
Bus 703, slight extension to mall + big increase in weekend service
Old:
https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T0703.pdf
New:
https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/upcoming/T0703.pdf

HACKENSACK
Bus 772 gets 3x weekday service and new weekend service
Old:
https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T0772.pdf
New:
https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/upcoming/T0772.pdf


These are pretty significant bumps in service to those lines. Still missing are new or increased service from Newark and NYC.

When is the next rail service change?

Based on these hefty bus service increases, I am more optimistic on what they're planning for rail.

My original guess:
" I would wager the only TRAIN service to start will be weekends and holidays, hourly from Hoboken via Secaucus. "

I can see them offering Hoboken-AD rail service every 30 minutes on weekends and holidays with some weekday service.

I think on weekdays, a single four-car train running back and forth between Hoboken and Meadowlands can offer service every 90 minutes.
 #1518527  by njtmnrrbuff
 
Those improvements in bus service on those three routes is a start. It's basically linking the large population centers of Bergen and Passaic Counties to the American Dream. I hope that the American Dream will be served by frequent bus service from New York City and Newark. Maybe have a spur of the 76 bus run from Newark to the American Dream or even extend the 30 from N. Arlington Loop to the mall.

In terms of rail, probably the best thing to do is to just have the Meadowlands shuttles run daily to the mall, with connections from NYC at SEC, whenever enough equipment and crew is available. If there are going to be any buses serving both the Rutherford and Wood-Ridge stations, that would be great, in terms of accommodating people who would want to use the train from Bergen, Passaic, Rockland, and Orange Counties.
 #1518580  by Yankees1
 
They really shouldn't start rail service to the mall until they are fully staffed. They still have been cancelling a ton of important weekend trains this summer (Sundays on the NJCL mostly) due to crew shortages. Also, whenever there is a concert or Giants or Jets game at the Meadowlands, they pull some equipment/crews off of some other trains on all of the other lines and cancel those trains in order to facilitate Meadowlands service. I'm not sure when the new classes graduate and they will finally be fully staffed, but in my mind it is somewhat irresponsible to introduce new service while they still are understaffed.
 #1518616  by njtmnrrbuff
 
Yes, NJT needs to pay more attention to its existing regular rail routes. It’s been an awful summer for NJT Rail. In terms of transporting people by public transportation to the mall, the buses are more important right now. They can always provide the last few miles connections from the train stations that I mentioned to the mall.
 #1518619  by Roadgeek Adam
 
A tad disappointed they couldn't come up with a bus route from Montclair State to American Dream off the 191.

That said, why are we still linear focused on getting rail there? There are higher priorities. If you suggested for the grand opening that they should that's fine.
 #1518631  by nightmare403
 
Weird the mentioned they 78 since its extremely limited
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Last edited by nightmare403 on Thu Aug 29, 2019 4:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
 #1518633  by nightmare403
 
Text version of my top post

NJ TRANSIT Initial Transportation Service to American Dream - Beginning Saturday, August 31, 2019
August 29, 2019


Initial service to include Express Buses from Port Authority Bus Terminal and Secaucus Junction to American Dream, as well as Expanded Local Service

As part of the initial phase of service to American Dream, NJ TRANSIT will operate express bus service from New York City, as well as an express bus service from Secaucus beginning on opening day, October 25, and expand three local bus routes, beginning on August 31, all on a pilot basis.

A new bus route, the No. 355, will operate daily express service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) to the American Dream every 30 minutes.

Bus Route No. 356 will operate daily express service from Secaucus Junction to American Dream every 30 minutes.

To provide transportation options for American Dream employees prior to the opening, three local bus routes – the Route No. 85, which operates from Hoboken/Union City to Secaucus; Route No. 703, which operates from Paterson/Passaic to East Rutherford; and Route No. 772, which operates from Hackensack to the Meadowlands – will expand their operating hours and include stops at American Dream beginning on Saturday, August 31. These three bus lines initially will stop at the Racetrack at the Meadowlands until completion of the dedicated hub at American Dream and will continue operations once opened.

Additionally, Route No. 772 will be expanding to include Saturday and Sunday service. NJ TRANSIT will implement the expanded weeknight service and new weekend service effective August 31.

To utilize Route No. 356 express bus service from Secaucus Junction customers may travel on any rail line that serves Secaucus Junction or any of the five NJ TRANSIT bus routes that serve Secaucus Junction and transfer to Route No. 356 express bus for direct service to American Dream. They are:

No. 2, Journal Square to Secaucus
No. 78, Newark to Secaucus
No. 124, PABT to Secaucus-Harmon Cove
No. 129, PABT to Secaucus
No. 329, Harmon Cove to Secaucus
Rail service will be added once the rail system is resilient enough that doing so won’t adversely affect NJ TRANSIT commuters.

Bus fare information from PABT and Secaucus to American Dream, schedules and gate departure information will be determined and announced as the opening date gets closer. NJ TRANSIT Initial Transportation Service to American Dream - Beginning Saturday, August 31, 2019

NJ TRANSIT will conduct public hearings to receive comments on the new weeknight and weekend service on Route No. 772 and the new express bus service, Route No. 355, to/from the PABT. Prior to the public hearings, these services will be implemented on a pilot basis to allow for the collection of public comments. These comments will be considered when the final decision is made to make the expanded service permanent. Dates, times and locations of the public hearings will be forthcoming.

For more information and language assistance, please call NJ TRANSIT Customer Service at (973) 275-5555 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.
 #1519002  by EuroStar
 
There is an interesting article that adds a few details beyond my knowledge Bloomberg
NJ Transit also is studying an elevated train, like the $4.9 billion system under construction at the Los Angeles airport, “to provide seamless public transit” between Secaucus and the Meadowlands, Stephen Schapiro, a state transportation department spokesman, said in an email. “Specific cost and route are to be determined.”

New Jersey’s railroad doesn’t have an estimated $1 billion to build a crucial loop so trains between Secaucus and the complex could run in both directions simultaneously.
So the loop over route 3 for the Meadowlands line is up to $1billion now? It is never going to happen.
Also who in their right mind is studying an elevated train between the complex and the Meadowlands? How is that going to ever end up cheaper than the loop for the already existing heavy rail connection? Whatever that study is, its only purpose is to keep silent some politician by wasting money on a stydy for something that will never be built.
 #1519014  by pumpers
 
I'm missing something on this "seamless public transit" between Secaucus Transfer station and the Meadowlands station. What "seam" is the problem that needs solving, apart from frequency of service? The NJT main line (and Pascack Valley line) and the spur to the station itself are all double track already, so trains in both directions can already run at the same time, I would think. The NJT main line is not that busy, is it? Perhaps a few crossovers are needed maybe. I'm not a railroad professional, so maybe I don't get something.

I can't imagine they are talking about running trains from the northeast corridor from NY onto this proposed loop (which the long-standing proposed Secaucus loop would solve anyway). (and that assumes there is NY Penn station and tunnel capacity).
 #1519020  by nightmare403
 
pumpers wrote: Tue Sep 03, 2019 12:05 pm I'm missing something on this "seamless public transit" between Secaucus Transfer station and the Meadowlands station. What "seam" is the problem that needs solving, apart from frequency of service? The NJT main line (and Pascack Valley line) and the spur to the station itself are all double track already, so trains in both directions can already run at the same time, I would think. The NJT main line is not that busy, is it? Perhaps a few crossovers are needed maybe. I'm not a railroad professional, so maybe I don't get something.

I can't imagine they are talking about running trains from the northeast corridor from NY onto this proposed loop (which the long-standing proposed Secaucus loop would solve anyway). (and that assumes there is NY Penn station and tunnel capacity).
It is double track I ride that line anytime theres something at the stadium
 #1519027  by EuroStar
 
I believe that the loop referred to in the article is not "the Secaucus Loop" that is supposed to bring trains from Main/Bergen lines into an expanded Penn Station.

The loop referred to in the article is a long forgotten proposal to continue the Meadowlands line from its terminus with a bridge over Route 3 and then merge back into the Bergen Line via a grade separated junction just before the bridge over the Hackensack River. The idea of such a loop is to avoid switching ends by the crew at the Meadowlands in order to speed up service to subway level frequencies. I am not sure if this was coupled with some other loop or another way to turn the trains quickly on the other side of Secaucus. In any case, the idea of such a loop predates me, and I do not know the details of the proposal.
 #1519029  by pumpers
 
Got it. I surmised that this was different from the Secaucus loop, but was trying to understand how it would increase service. Now I know - by avoiding the time for the crew to change ends, mainly.
So now I ask - how long does that take? Are there a new set of tests, e.g. brake tests, or some other long procedure when they switch ends?
 #1519056  by Ken W2KB
 
pumpers wrote: Tue Sep 03, 2019 1:14 pm Got it. I surmised that this was different from the Secaucus loop, but was trying to understand how it would increase service. Now I know - by avoiding the time for the crew to change ends, mainly.
So now I ask - how long does that take? Are there a new set of tests, e.g. brake tests, or some other long procedure when they switch ends?
My recollection / estimate is that the time to conduct the tests when the NJT crew changes ends at High Bridge station is about 5 minutes.