ERIE GREENWOOD LAKE-ARLINGTON AREA

BlockLine_4111 wrote:Personally I thought the strecth of line between the river and Kearny Avenue was neat, especially how it ran through that "cut of some sort".

Possible candidate line for LRT project?

It's been talked about before running the HB Light Rail up the Boonton Line before.

I once posted a thread in the NJT Light Rail forum which was about linking all the Light Rail network in north Jersey using the Boonton Line.

Run a Hudson-Bergen Light Rail extension through the Bergen Arches (apparently studied and dropped as a possible project by the NJDOT) between Jersey City and Montclair (Arlington, Benson Street, Rowe St), and have another branch connecting to the Newark City Subway using the short stretch of the Orange Branch in Branch Brook Park which feed directly into existing Newark City Subway tracks.

Irish also added to that post by suggesting they also build a connector by the McCarter Highway to connect the Boonton Light Rail to the Newark Industrial, (or maybe it was rebuilding the entire Newark Industrial from DB to Paterson) and running light rail Between Hoboken & Paterson through Kearny, Newark, Nutley, Belleville, & Clifton to the old freight yard (the empty lot just east of the station on the east bound side.

The line looks like it could definitely be used for something in the future. Probably why they didn't completely rip up both tracks. But if they are ever gonna use em again, lots of time, money and work is going to have to be put into that whole 8 mile stretch.

Light Rail Forum Post: http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11239

Was abandonment granted as yet by the STB? It may be that the track will be ripped out when that order is issued. Again, it is my understanding that NJT does not own the track.

Ken W2KB wrote:Was abandonment granted as yet by the STB? It may be that the track will be ripped out when that order is issued. Again, it is my understanding that NJT does not own the track.

It seems like the last thing I can find on the STB site (with a search for "Boonton," anyway) was the denial of NY&GL's application to acquire it as a feeder line. It seems that NS (as the owner of the track) argued the line wasn't listed for abandonment, and that had a lot to do with it.
If they do (file to) abandon it, it might be possible that NY&GL could try to acquire and use it. This is just speculation, though.

pgengler wrote:

Ken W2KB wrote:Was abandonment granted as yet by the STB? It may be that the track will be ripped out when that order is issued. Again, it is my understanding that NJT does not own the track.

It seems like the last thing I can find on the STB site (with a search for "Boonton," anyway) was the denial of NY&GL's application to acquire it as a feeder line. It seems that NS (as the owner of the track) argued the line wasn't listed for abandonment, and that had a lot to do with it.
If they do (file to) abandon it, it might be possible that NY&GL could try to acquire and use it. This is just speculation, though.

I think the only reason why NS never filed to officially abandon it is......

1) Hartz Mountain (Orange Branch) is still a pretty active customer
2) NS stores spine and well cars east of DB bridge........

I just noticed a picture of a train at sunset crossing DB Drawbridge today for the first time. I work at NJ DOT HQ in Ewing and it's across from the Comissioner's office along with many other photos of NJT equipment and stations. It's ashame that the line is abandoned, but it is New Jersey so it should be opened again in about 20 years for a new service or something.

njt4172 wrote:

pgengler wrote:

Ken W2KB wrote:Was abandonment granted as yet by the STB? It may be that the track will be ripped out when that order is issued. Again, it is my understanding that NJT does not own the track.

It seems like the last thing I can find on the STB site (with a search for "Boonton," anyway) was the denial of NY&GL's application to acquire it as a feeder line. It seems that NS (as the owner of the track) argued the line wasn't listed for abandonment, and that had a lot to do with it.
If they do (file to) abandon it, it might be possible that NY&GL could try to acquire and use it. This is just speculation, though.

I think the only reason why NS never filed to officially abandon it is......

1) Hartz Mountain (Orange Branch) is still a pretty active customer
2) NS stores spine and well cars east of DB bridge........

Thanks for the update. NS could file for abandonment of the middle part of the line if it so desired, I suppose. There have been proposals to pull the Hudson County portion between the rivers and convert to a nature trail. It may be NS is holding out for $$ for that purpose.

Ken W2KB wrote:Thanks for the update. NS could file for abandonment of the middle part of the line if it so desired, I suppose. There have been proposals to pull the Hudson County portion between the rivers and convert to a nature trail. It may be NS is holding out for $$ for that purpose.

It is a very nice walk between the rivers. I have done it a few times. There is some creepy stuff in the Kearny Cut by Kearny Ave, but other than that, the walk is a very nice one one you get into the Meadows.

SPUI wrote:I thought NJ Transit owned that trackage, at least pre-Montclair Connection; I'm even more sure that they own the trackage still in use past the connection, and before the connection there would have been no logical reason to end ownership there. It looks like it was sold off afterwards though:

Never mind - maps from the 1998 Conrail breakup show NJT ownership of the Boonton Line only going west from where the connection is now. I wonder if they ever owned the trackage east of there - if not, I guess the connection was planned back when they bought the line.

SPUI wrote:[Never mind - maps from the 1998 Conrail breakup show NJT ownership of the Boonton Line only going west from where the connection is now. I wonder if they ever owned the trackage east of there - if not, I guess the connection was planned back when they bought the line.

Correct, when NJDOT was purchasing the various rail lines in the late 1970's through the "900-Day Option" process, the portion east of Pine Street was not purchased. Conrail (later NS) leased the eastern portion to NJT (which is why NJT handled maintenance on this line). After the connection was completed the lease was terminated.

Great photos and I like your signature file.

I was near Verona avenue in Newark last year and I thought they were ripping up the tracks. I know that NS does serivce Hartz Mountain about 2- 3 times a month, I believe. NS has also been there during the day which is very odd. I thought they normally would only come through at night because of the Newark City Subway line but they have.

Ken