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  • 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

 #1582934  by pateljones
 
Photobug your timeline is incorrect. Construction started in 2011 but stopped when funding ran out. The original cost of $61 million is now projected to be $125 million from the time delays, increased cost of the Roseville Tunnel and the original contractor's damage claims award. We will see what the bids are.
 #1582980  by lensovet
 
lol there's a reason the real estate is unused or underused. the population has been falling for decades.

the population of people commuting to NYC or Jersey City from Scranton is close to zero.
 #1582986  by Gilbert B Norman
 
From Palmer House, Chicago (came in to meet friends for Dinner and "too many" drinks)
Tom V wrote:Let us see what happens when Amtrak gets involved, a big infusion from the infrastructure bill should move up th e timeline for the project.
Mr. Volpini, why should, or could, Amtrak be invooved, allocating whatever they get from the "infrastructure legislation" to a regional rail matter, when their enabling legislation delineates they can only address intercity rail?
 #1582991  by lensovet
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:27 pm From Palmer House, Chicago (came in to meet friends for Dinner and "too many" drinks)
Tom V wrote:Let us see what happens when Amtrak gets involved, a big infusion from the infrastructure bill should move up th e timeline for the project.
Mr. Volpini, why should, or could, Amtrak be invooved, allocating whatever they get from the "infrastructure legislation" to a regional rail matter, when their enabling legislation delineates they can only address intercity rail?
Only because their map of proposed routes released soon after the inauguration showed that they want to run service to Scranton from NYC, which would presumably be on this route and not some other circuitous path.
 #1583001  by Tom V
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote:From Palmer House, Chicago (came in to meet friends for Dinner and "too many" drinks)
Tom V wrote:Let us see what happens when Amtrak gets involved, a big infusion from the infrastructure bill should move up th e timeline for the project.
Mr. Volpini, why should, or could, Amtrak be invooved, allocating whatever they get from the "infrastructure legislation" to a regional rail matter, when their enabling legislation delineates they can only address intercity rail?
It’s part of their Connect US plan, 3 daily trips NY Penn - Scranton.

https://www.amtrakconnectsus.com/maps/ ... -scranton/


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 #1583025  by photobug56
 
lensovet wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:59 pm lol there's a reason the real estate is unused or underused. the population has been falling for decades.

the population of people commuting to NYC or Jersey City from Scranton is close to zero.
Post COVID commuting is way down. But a lot of people bought in or near Scranton and either drove or too Martz daily to NYC. When we last checked Scranton housing wasn't all that cheap but other living costs were decent. And better passenger connections work both ways in attracting jobs to Scranton.
 #1583089  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Volks, come on.

That someone dreaming up that spaghetti bowl called Connect US calling for "four a day" NY-Scranton did so to pay homage to Joe's one time hometown - and that's all.

While I can't say this is a route that must be built from scratch in that the grading is in place, everything else from the ground up, such as how about a new bridge so this route can "play George" (upstream a bit), will need be.

True, $61B for Amtrak, as provided for in the Senate passed "hard infrastructure" bill is a "nice haul", but too many other projects more justified for funding are out there. Start of course, with the two tunnel projects on the PRR side of the Corridor.

Besides, and maybe an inappropriate comment to make here, I highly doubt if Joe will complete his term; Kamala has shown indifference towards anything passenger rail and whoever is elected in '24 will show even less.
 #1583138  by photobug56
 
At least this president can walk down a ramp without help! :-)

Those of us who've depended on rail transportation both appreciate it, what it does, what it can do, what it could aspire to, and are often frustrated by what it really is day to day. Biden knows how well it did for him, and he also likely knows how important it once was for Scranton. My dad used to go from Scranton by train out to meet with car manufacturers (he hauled cars, among other things) and he saw a much better way of business travel than train, taxi and hotel (even at that distance). I missed getting to ride in and out of Scranton (except by steam excursion a bit), have been a 'victim' of the mediocrity, IMHO, of LIRR, been super involved in NYC transit before moving to Long Island, and know and expect much better than we currently have - and don't want the opportunities squandered.
 #1583193  by Dcell
 
You surprise me, Gilbert. I thought you wanted to ride the Phoebe Snow line one more time before you reach your final terminus. I know there won't be a rear obs car or porters in white jackets but you have waxed poetic about riding this line pre-Amtrak.
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