Boonton Line
In case it is not apparent. I view the severing of the Boonton Line
to be a bit of a disaster in terms of the long term effects it has had on
the cut-off and rail service in Northern Morris County. The grades on the Boonton Line including the portion now covered by Route 80 between Towata and Paterson did not exceed 1% this comes from track profiles. In fact Boonton Line Grades do not exceed 1% from Hoboken thru to Denville.
The Greenwood Lake Line has a maximum of 2.37 % between Montclair Heights and Little Falls though the 2.37% is only for a short distance most of the Grade is between 1% and 1.2 %. There is a 2.5% between Mountain Avenue and Upper Montclair. Insofar as elevating 2 lanes of route 80 as being unsightly I would say a mono-rail is unsightly as well and I might add more expensive and considerably more useless alas I digress. What I have accomplished here is to show conclusively that the Greenwood Lake line with or without catenary is poor as a through freight route which is what I set out to do. At the time of abandonment New Jersey did have a department of Rail Transportation it was a division of the State Highway Department opinions from the State level at the time are sketchy, the communities of Montclair and Bloomfield did complain about thru freights being rerouted to the Greenwood Lake Line and Commuters protested to the State PUC about this abandonment. The state of New Jersey was aware that the proposed severing of the Boonton Line was unnecessary and that it would lenghten trips from Morris County on the Erie-Lackawanna to Hoboken. The state knew the Greenwood Lake line would also result in downgrading freight capacity via EL's Scranton Line as the railroad signed an agreement to limit freights to 4 a day via the Greenwood Lake detour. I accuse the state people of lacking foresight in permitting EL to go forward with this abandonment. The abandonment and combining of the Boonton Line with the Greenwood Lake Line resulted in the downgrading of service on the Greenwood Lake Line north of Mountain View. Only 2 trains went through from Wanaque to Hoboken after the combination. Most riders drove to Mountain View to take advantage of the better schedules offered there, the Railroad Department in its decison to not subsidize service on EL north of Mountain View noted this development but were silent on the fact that EL had downgraded service north of Mountain View and why they stated existing ridership at the time of the study did not warrant continued service.
Greenwood Lake Line
The state made no efforts that I can see to rail bank the line north of Mountain View. The Caldwell Line right of way has also been lost. Feeble efforts were made to save that right of way. The state does not appear to be taking steps to save the right of way East of Montclair.
Erie Mainline NY State
The portion of the Mainline thru Middletown is becoming a trail much of it has already been opened. I don't know of a single trail on former EL right of way in New Jersey.
Northern Branch
A walking trail has been made on the New York State Portion thru Sparkill.
The line is in tact and operated by CSXT to the NJ state border.
Erie Mainline Downtown Passaic
The State Division of Railroad Transportation mentioned in its report that the Passaic Grade Crossing Elimination project should really be considered an abandonment. They further stated that ridership on the segment eliminated was substantial and was a loss to mass transit in New Jersey. No efforts that I know of were or are being made to railbank this right of way either.
In summary the historical record of New Jersey on rail transit in my opinion is not very good. The state has failed miserably in saving rights of way for future transit projects when rail service has been abandoned.
In case it is not apparent. I view the severing of the Boonton Line
to be a bit of a disaster in terms of the long term effects it has had on
the cut-off and rail service in Northern Morris County. The grades on the Boonton Line including the portion now covered by Route 80 between Towata and Paterson did not exceed 1% this comes from track profiles. In fact Boonton Line Grades do not exceed 1% from Hoboken thru to Denville.
The Greenwood Lake Line has a maximum of 2.37 % between Montclair Heights and Little Falls though the 2.37% is only for a short distance most of the Grade is between 1% and 1.2 %. There is a 2.5% between Mountain Avenue and Upper Montclair. Insofar as elevating 2 lanes of route 80 as being unsightly I would say a mono-rail is unsightly as well and I might add more expensive and considerably more useless alas I digress. What I have accomplished here is to show conclusively that the Greenwood Lake line with or without catenary is poor as a through freight route which is what I set out to do. At the time of abandonment New Jersey did have a department of Rail Transportation it was a division of the State Highway Department opinions from the State level at the time are sketchy, the communities of Montclair and Bloomfield did complain about thru freights being rerouted to the Greenwood Lake Line and Commuters protested to the State PUC about this abandonment. The state of New Jersey was aware that the proposed severing of the Boonton Line was unnecessary and that it would lenghten trips from Morris County on the Erie-Lackawanna to Hoboken. The state knew the Greenwood Lake line would also result in downgrading freight capacity via EL's Scranton Line as the railroad signed an agreement to limit freights to 4 a day via the Greenwood Lake detour. I accuse the state people of lacking foresight in permitting EL to go forward with this abandonment. The abandonment and combining of the Boonton Line with the Greenwood Lake Line resulted in the downgrading of service on the Greenwood Lake Line north of Mountain View. Only 2 trains went through from Wanaque to Hoboken after the combination. Most riders drove to Mountain View to take advantage of the better schedules offered there, the Railroad Department in its decison to not subsidize service on EL north of Mountain View noted this development but were silent on the fact that EL had downgraded service north of Mountain View and why they stated existing ridership at the time of the study did not warrant continued service.
Greenwood Lake Line
The state made no efforts that I can see to rail bank the line north of Mountain View. The Caldwell Line right of way has also been lost. Feeble efforts were made to save that right of way. The state does not appear to be taking steps to save the right of way East of Montclair.
Erie Mainline NY State
The portion of the Mainline thru Middletown is becoming a trail much of it has already been opened. I don't know of a single trail on former EL right of way in New Jersey.
Northern Branch
A walking trail has been made on the New York State Portion thru Sparkill.
The line is in tact and operated by CSXT to the NJ state border.
Erie Mainline Downtown Passaic
The State Division of Railroad Transportation mentioned in its report that the Passaic Grade Crossing Elimination project should really be considered an abandonment. They further stated that ridership on the segment eliminated was substantial and was a loss to mass transit in New Jersey. No efforts that I know of were or are being made to railbank this right of way either.
In summary the historical record of New Jersey on rail transit in my opinion is not very good. The state has failed miserably in saving rights of way for future transit projects when rail service has been abandoned.
HSS
