Morris Cty, NJ wants freight trains to play a bigger role. !

I wonder why they didn't propose to close the gap even further east where the lines over the Stockton Street bridge decks, where the tracks appear to be somewhat closer - the Google overhead indicates about 30 meters at the bridge before curving outward.

What you can't see in Google is that they are on different grades. Former DL&W is on a "shelf" about 10-12 feet higher than the CNJ main. That is why the idea of a switch near PU tower was bantied about. Tracks are only a couple feet higher there. Probably at one time ,before the 1999 undercutting,they were about the same elevation.