MOM Rail Service

https://www.app.com/story/news/local/em ... 039067007/

Apologies for the paywalled article, but it seems that a trestle along the NJT-owned portion of the old CRRNJ Freehold Branch near Matawan has burned up. Figured I might as well post this here since it is (or was) relevant to the MOM project.

Apparently some local frums set fire to it for fun.

I’ve heard previously that some Israeli investors once wanted to buy the Southern Secondary from NJT and do their own passenger and freight service to Lakewood. (Jewish town so this would be mostly for them and their purposes) They’d fix up the tracks and everything. As to how they’d get to NYC I think they’d transfer at Red Bank.

Conrail was on board with someone taking the freight over since they have wanted nothing to do with the Southern since 2003, but apparently the proposal was shot down by NJT. Apparently they either weren’t willing to sell or didn’t like the idea of someone besides them running commuter trains there, which to me sounds pretty dumb.

Anyone else ever hear about this?

MaRoFu wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:44 am https://www.app.com/story/news/local/em ... 039067007/

Apologies for the paywalled article, but it seems that a trestle along the NJT-owned portion of the old CRRNJ Freehold Branch near Matawan has burned up. Figured I might as well post this here since it is (or was) relevant to the MOM project.

If MOM were to ever happen, that bridge would have to go. Even before this fire it was relatively structurally unsound, which is why the Henry Hudson Bike Trail never used it.

Posters: Just remember that any of these proposals will not mean any rush hour trains to NYP. They will have to connect to present trains. The capacity thru the present 2 North River tunnels is limiting. We cannot expect any additional rush hour trains until the new Gateway tunnel bores are in full service and probably at least one present bore is fully rehabbed.

No one now knows what the condition of the present bores will be by time new bore are fully operational. Once new ones in service which one will be rehabbed first? Depends on either quickest one that can be finished quicker or one that is most deteriorated. In fact maybe both will have to be worked on at the same time?

I mean, I figured that NJT would wait until those new tunnels are built before they do anything down here. Provided they ever do something.

They'll have to do MOM or something of the like eventually.

The tunnels under the Hudson will come one way or another, and by then, the area of Central and Southern NJ, specifically Monmouth and Ocean counties, will be even more full and developed than they are right now. They keep building stuff along the Route 9 and Route 33 corridors.

Gateway tunnel project just received $7 Billion.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/06/nyre ... teway.html

It's time to start planning for what comes next, after the new tunnels are built and the old ones rehabbed. The area encompassing the MOM planned routes is the most obvious. The advent of dual modes and the construction of the new Hudson tunnels makes a one seat ride from Western Monmouth County and Ocean County achievable.

While I agree it would make sense, there is still work that will need to be done to infrastructure in NJ. Could the corridor handle the extra traffic? Is there a need for it with the change in commuter behavior? All questions that need to be looked at first.

Side note it's beginning to sound like this is going to be more of a MO line than MOM....

We discussed this briefly on the Delaware and Raritan topic. One member mentioned that NJT ridership as a whole has been fluctuating between 55-75 percent less than it was before Covid. A lot of people work from home nowadays too. Is there enough left to justify MOM?

Glad the tunnels are finally on the way at least. Don’t know much about what’s between there and Monmouth Junction. They’ve been building a new portal bridge and the sawtooth bridge is getting repaired/replaced too. I could be wrong but I think they also said something about the bridge right next to Newark Penn being fixed up? I honestly don’t remember.

Good to see you again, Kaback9!

Yes, good to see you Kaback9! Welcome back.

In the Pennsy years, they boasted the 4-track Main Line could handle what a FORTY LANE superhighway could. All I hear now is the line now can't handle "all this traffic" on the NE Corridor. With limited freight allowed, where is this "traffic"? When I drove a school bus, I had off time between runs and would find a place to watch the NE Corrider. Trains running on half hour headway, with an occasional high-speed express going by, I don't see this "congestion". "If MOM is a reality, how can the NEC handle all this additional traffic?" I must be missing something.

David wrote: ↑Wed Jul 19, 2023 10:57 am Good to see you again, Kaback9!

Thanks good to be back and see some familiar names are still here!

GSC wrote:Yes, good to see you Kaback9! Welcome back.

In the Pennsy years, they boasted the 4-track Main Line could handle what a FORTY LANE superhighway could. All I hear now is the line now can't handle "all this traffic" on the NE Corridor. With limited freight allowed, where is this "traffic"? When I drove a school bus, I had off time between runs and would find a place to watch the NE Corrider. Trains running on half hour headway, with an occasional high-speed express going by, I don't see this "congestion". "If MOM is a reality, how can the NEC handle all this additional traffic?" I must be missing something.

Likewise and thank you!

I think it has more to do with aging infrastructure than anything else, time tables can always be adjusted but a nearly 100 year old bridge probably needs a bit more than an adjusting.

It’s mainly the tunnels into NY and the area before it that’s the problem. I too have seen the corridor before this part and there’s room for MOM trains if it’s setup right.

But as mentioned, is the ridership still there? Ever since Covid there’s been less people riding NJT. I still haven’t seen a Coast Line train be completely full since then.

GSC wrote: ↑Wed Jul 19, 2023 11:22 am Yes, good to see you Kaback9! Welcome back.

In the Pennsy years, they boasted the 4-track Main Line could handle what a FORTY LANE superhighway could. All I hear now is the line now can't handle "all this traffic" on the NE Corridor. With limited freight allowed, where is this "traffic"? When I drove a school bus, I had off time between runs and would find a place to watch the NE Corrider. Trains running on half hour headway, with an occasional high-speed express going by, I don't see this "congestion". "If MOM is a reality, how can the NEC handle all this additional traffic?" I must be missing something.

Umm what half hour headways? NJT alone runs 113 trains/day in 22 hours, which corresponds to 11-minute headways not including Amtrak, just in the northbound direction. Amtrak adds another 30 trains to that, or a 9-minute average headway. In practice these are not evenly distributed throughout the day so during peak hours you will see trains boarding on all platforms at the same time and expresses taking over locals throughout their route.

How many decades ago did you drive the bus?

Kaback9 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 19, 2023 11:26 am

David wrote: ↑Wed Jul 19, 2023 10:57 am Good to see you again, Kaback9!

Thanks good to be back and see some familiar names are still here!

GSC wrote:Yes, good to see you Kaback9! Welcome back..

Likewise and thank you!

Indeed! Welcome back!