Harrison

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/0 ... aitin.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This will be interesting to see what happens, given the stubborness of the Port Authority and the lack of concern for others by Amtrak.

I am certain that everything will turn out OK in the end...

I've ridden through the Harrison area several times this summer, and I've noticed a retaining wall going up just railroad east of the westbound PATH Harrison platform. It seems that it allows plenty of room for 4 NEC mains and 2 PATH tracks on either side. I'm curious how far the retaining wall will extend when complete and if it is in the plans to modify the curve east of Harrison, even slightly.

philipmartin wrote:http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/0 ... aitin.html

Well, it's been 2 years now. I was in Harrison last weekend and it didn't look like much in the way of construction was going on. Sort of mothballed.
What's the story? Is the Amtrak vs PATH issue still holding it up, or is it something related to the Sampson scandals and lawsuits...
JS

Following up, regarding the ROW through Harrison, right now Amtrak has 4 tracks just west of Harrison station that go down to 3 tracks heading east right at the station.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Harri ... 74.1562551" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've read that as part of the Gateway project, Amtrak wants 4 tracks from Newark Penn Station all the way to Manhattan. At Harrison, there is clearly a spare span over Frank Rodgers Blvd (the north/south street going under the station) for a 4th track, but just east of F. R. Blvd (where the new station is being built), the right of way clearly narrows down. There are 4 tracks (1 PATH and 3 Amtrak) going between the catenary support poles, and one Path track outside the catenary poles (on the south side). If Amtrak wants a new track, I just don't see where it is going to go, unless the elevated ROW is made wider somehow, including the new station area. So I can see the problem. I would imagine the station was designed to accommodate this, but you never know.
JS

pumpers wrote:Following up, regarding the ROW through Harrison, right now Amtrak has 4 tracks just west of Harrison station that go down to 3 tracks heading east right at the station.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Harri ... 74.1562551" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've read that as part of the Gateway project, Amtrak wants 4 tracks from Newark Penn Station all the way to Manhattan. At Harrison, there is clearly a spare span over Frank Rodgers Blvd (the north/south street going under the station) for a 4th track, but just east of F. R. Blvd (where the new station is being built), the right of way clearly narrows down. There are 4 tracks (1 PATH and 3 Amtrak) going between the catenary support poles, and one Path track outside the catenary poles (on the south side). If Amtrak wants a new track, I just don't see where it is going to go, unless the elevated ROW is made wider somehow, including the new station area. So I can see the problem. I would imagine the station was designed to accommodate this, but you never know.
JS

The "spare" span used to have a track that was removed by the PRR (or PC?) to save money on switch maintenance as it did not add a lot of operational value. There is still catenary over the missing track. I believe that the PRR may have shared the westbound PATH track (PATH Journal Square to Newark was a PRR operation) and the now removed track was to bypass the PATH platform. The new platforms will be straight so there is room for 4 Amtrak tracks. Note in the Google photo the ground level conduit on the missing track location. I wonder if that is for PATH and Amtrak wants that removed now? The three tracks reduce to two about a mile east so adding a fourth track from the station doesn't add much to the project given the miles of additional two tracks that will have to be added over most of the distance to NYC.

Ken W2KB wrote: Note in the Google photo the ground level conduit on the missing track location. I wonder if that is for PATH and Amtrak wants that removed now?

Could be, but hard to believe that is the cause of a 2-year hang-up.

The three tracks reduce to two about a mile east so adding a fourth track from the station doesn't add much to the project given the miles of additional two tracks that will have to be added over most of the distance to NYC.

Good point.

did some more googling: The beginning of the article (from Mid March this year) says completion in 2018. Then later in the article it says Q2 2018 for the northeast station, Q1 2109 for the southeast station (east end of the platforms), and no date at all given for the 2 west stations to replace the existing station, although their design is currently "under review". I suppose you can't replace them until the new NE and SE stations are in service so there is access to both platforms. So it sounds like 2021 or so until it is 100% done.
http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/201 ... ehind.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ken W2KB wrote:The "spare" span used to have a track that was removed by the PRR (or PC?) to save money on switch maintenance as it did not add a lot of operational value. There is still catenary over the missing track. I believe that the PRR may have shared the westbound PATH track (PATH Journal Square to Newark was a PRR operation) and the now removed track was to bypass the PATH platform.

I believe the last scheduled use of the removed track was by trains originating at Jersey City, which did share track with H&M from Journal Square, and continued straight while H&M trains diverged to the platform track. There was a smashboard on the home signal at a height just above the top of the H&M cars which dropped to horizontal when the signal was cleared for a diverging move, and a lighted H-M was displayed. The track was never really needed after the Jersey City service ceased (1960's ? ), and the switch and track were removed sometime after that.

So what's the plan for Harrison?

nyrmetros wrote: ↑Wed Jun 28, 2023 9:09 pm So what's the plan for Harrison?

A six year old topic this time?

Harrison has been 'reduced' to a plain 2 platform local station with Amtrak/NJ Transit tracks between the 2 PATH tracks. PATH has been extending the platforms to handle 9 and 10 car trains. It is also building/rebuilding the entrances on each side.

Ridership at the station has increased partially due to the Red Bull soccer stadium near the station and partially the building of many, many apartment buildings on the north side of the station . That area of Harrison has seen a renaissance of sorts.