Construction on the M&E in E. Hanover

Spotted Railroad Construction Co. trucks at the Ridgedale Ave crossing several times in the past week or so. It seems they are preparing to change all the ties and rails on both sides of the crossing. Anyone have info on how far east this project is scheduled to go?

From an old post from Gordon Fuller the track work is supposed to go all the way to the B&G plant in Roseland! The eastern portion of the Whippany line should be up to 25-30 mph running by the end of the summer!

I was hoping the tracks would be up to atleast 40 or 45 rather then just up to 30 mph. Trucks do deliver to companies in that area and there are roads where turckers can take where they can go up to 40 or 45.

NJTRailfan,

You know you can't have your cake and eat it too!!!!
At least the line will be suitable for passenger excursions again!!

Steve

I have seen RCC trucks around Roseland since late December. They have been surveying from what I can tell... I have been down to the Pasaic River bridge, there are paint markings and some marker flags around the tracks. I'll post some pics as soon as I get a chance. Can't wait 'til they start work down this way.

Can't help it. The M&E should build those tracks to withstand the mph I suggested to give those trucks a run for the $$$$$$ esp since I do see the trucks speed well above the limit. The M&E should be able to do that esp around 45 mph since it's safer for them to do it and they can get the loads there on time.

They should do this for all future projects so that trains will handle even more freight and the trucks will not dominate NJ highways but cars and maybe we won't see as much debries and truck related accidents/incidents on the roads. I'm hoping an incident like the summer of hell on Rt 80 back in 2001 will not occur ever again. That incident proved that the cutoff should've been up and running otherwise the congestion wouldn't have been anywhere near that bad.

NJTRailfan,

In order for the cutoff to get going gas prices will have to hit $5.00 a gallon for regular. Either that or an asteroid will have to hit Route 80 putting a 1 mile hole in the road. The latter would probably just kill everyone off so it wouldn't matter then would it?

Getting back on topic.....Hopefully I can rent a dinner train and go from Morristown to Roseland this summer!. Anyone know how much that will cost for 1 dining car???

Thanks,
Steve

I don't understand the emphasis on increasing the speed limit on the Morristown and Erie trackage through Whippany/Roseland to 45mph. It is a short line that hauls only a few carloads at a time of bulk commodities, not time sensitive cargo. The notion that they are in a 'time competition' with truckers makes no sense to me considering they are at the whim of NS (and not to mention other roads that might be involved) interchange policies. How much time would they really save fast hauling freight from Morristown to E. Hanover? 5 mins?? I'm sure Polaner won't abandon service on the M&E because they are getting their sweetener a few minutes later then if it was delivered by truck.

Ladies and Gentlemen;

History has repeated itself. This time on Route 95. 2 or 3 trucks have collided but this time BOTH directions have been taken out rather then one like it was on 80. According to the DOT it'll be weeks maybe months beofre that section can be replaced and get back to normal.

If this were to happen on Rt 80 say in Parsippany I'd be thankful I no longer have to commute from Dover to Wayne since I graduated from WPU. Rt 46 was a bigger nightmare along with the major backroads and Rt 10 when drivers were taking alternative routes home.

NJTrailfan,


Nice, but what does your post have to do with construction on the M&E in East Hanover???

Thanks,
Steve

Sorry for going off topic. It was quite strange that as we were talking about the cutoff and why it's needed to avoid large amount of congestion like back in summer of 2001, this incident from Rt 95 rears it's ugly head. I guess I got caught up in it.

My apoligies.

If the M&E and other frieghts got their tracks upgraded to a higher speed companies who do have access to tracks can take advantage of the trains and thus less truck related accidents/incidents on the road. According to the NJTDOT I think statewide fatalities on the road related to trucks are around 75. Even though thats down from nearly 100 back in 2001 that number can still go down much lower (along with the amt of hazardous debries seen on our highways and roads)if the usage of trucks in the state went down and the usage would go up for CSX,NS and M&E.

With the faster speed (30 or whatever), what are the chances of a passenger rail link from MoTown to Roseland? A couple of years ago NJT had it on their poject plan for reaserch... now I don't see it. Is it possible for M&E to run something like that? I for one would be interested, live in Denville, work in Roseland. Would be really nice to NOT get stuck on Rt80 or 280... Plus the views would be great.

Just a thought...

The speeds on the Morristown and Erie have nothing to do with how many customers they can aquire. The cost/availabilty of rail service as compared to other modes is the determinig factor. Whether the M&E keeps the old speed limit, or lays CWR and concrete ties, the speed at which they traverse the tracks has nothing to do with new customer generation. The only thing upgraded track would greatly benefit would be the size and weight of railcars that may use the line and I'm rather certain that with the current upgrade they would be able to accomodate most modern rolling stock without an upgrade to track that can handle 45mph.

Denville railfan,

you can forget abotu that idea ever happning on NJT. NJT had a plan to extend the RVL to Alpha but that plan is no longer on the board. Thats bad because I was hoping traffic off 78 would be greatly reduced plus I would lvoe to see the lien go as far as Bloomsbury where a big P/R Station can be built.

Find it insulting epsecially since the Cape May Project is still on the board yet a project like RVL extension which get get a hell of alot more passengers is taken off.

Thanks, and to think I was going to hold my breath... Oh Well, Would be nice to take the train to work - especially by M&E!

Anyway, Work is progressing down by the Passaic river bridge. Next few weeks should be interesting.

Link to construction...
http://64.78.30.219/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1078