Railroad Forums
NJ announces 2021 rail construction grants
- Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey
Moderator: David
by R&DB
The first item in the list, 'F&S connection and upgrade', is this Freehold to Farmingdale? Dover and Delaware is a Chesapeake and Delaware railroad. Have they gotten the contract to open the track east of Okerson Road? This item mentions Howell, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The only thing I can think of that includes all those places is a combination of the Amboy Secondary, FIT, Southern Secondary and TRIT. Anyone else have a guess?
Harry
by CharlieL
Other than the Middlesex county mention, it certainly looks like it. F & S for Freehold and Southern secondaries? We'll see. Not gonna speculate.
by R&DB
by R&DB
R&DB wrote: ↑Thu Feb 11, 2021 3:54 pmCharlieL wrote: ↑Thu Feb 11, 2021 3:44 pm Other than the Middlesex county mention, it certainly looks like it. F & S for Freehold and Southern secondaries? We'll see. Not gonna speculate.Monmouth / Middlesex line is just a bit West of Englishtown, so the FIT is in both counties. My real question is why did the grant go to DD and not Conrail?
Harry
by Bracdude181
If C&D takes over then Freehold to Farmingdale is almost certainly in the works. Much of the line has construction markings on it now...
by CharlieL
I tried to find the original grant request, but no luck. I think it's probably in New Jersey's SAGE system, which requires a login to explore.
by R&DB
FOIA request just filled. Hopefully we'll get an answer next week.
Harry
by Bracdude181
@R&DB When you say “contract to open the track” do you mean Chesapeake and Delaware will do the repairs and Conrail will run on the track? Or will Chesapeake and Delaware repair the line then take over?
by CharlieL
It all sounds to me that D&D (or C&D) is taking over the whole shebang from CRSA, either from Brown's or from a small yard (to be built) out by Jamesburg. And with the grants given that suggests there has been buy-in from NJT and Conrail (NJT: "We own it but you can use it as long as you maintain it." And pay rent?). I can't see the grants without those buy-ins.
Both NJT (No more freight on our precious coast line) and Conrail (no more nickel-dime traffic) would be happier than pigs in poop over that.
Both NJT (No more freight on our precious coast line) and Conrail (no more nickel-dime traffic) would be happier than pigs in poop over that.
by Bracdude181
@CharlieL Does Chesapeake and Delaware even have the resources to completely take over Browns yard?
by R&DB
Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 14, 2021 7:04 pm @R&DB When you say “contract to open the track” do you mean Chesapeake and Delaware will do the repairs and Conrail will run on the track? Or will Chesapeake and Delaware repair the line then take over?I have no knowledge of who's going to operate the lines. The State DoT pdf only stated the grant went to D&D to connect F & S and do some re-hab of some sort. Since there is no other public information available, I filed a FOIA request last Friday night. Hoping for an answer this week so we can stop speculating.
@CharlieL, your probably right about NJT & Conrail attitudes about everything RR West of Browns.
Harry
by Bracdude181
Never understood why Conrail wants nothing to do with Browns. They keep saying it makes no money but how is that the case when Dayton gets 20 cars a trip on some trains? There’s also CMC Steel who gets at least 8 cars every other day. I can see why they don’t want some of the lines though. Mainly hightstown, and to some extent Freehold and the Southern.
As for NJT I’d say they wanted all Coast Line freight gone since their inception, but they seem to have mixed feelings about OI16. I’ve heard many different answers as to whether or not NJT wants that gone too. I know for sure they don’t want any freight south of South Amboy.
As for NJT I’d say they wanted all Coast Line freight gone since their inception, but they seem to have mixed feelings about OI16. I’ve heard many different answers as to whether or not NJT wants that gone too. I know for sure they don’t want any freight south of South Amboy.
by CharlieL
Well, since D&D is putting up somewhere around a half mil of their own money (and perhaps more when it's all over) they must be getting something out of it. Like trackage rights if nothing else. They obviously think they can afford it. Next we'll see if the grant money is actually spent.
by CharlieL
PS this will be a good test as to how well the state responds to FOIA requests.