The New Jersey Transit Run (Riding the system in a day)

Not realistically. Even two days would be a stretch, a very big stretch. You really couldn't start at midnight, so 4AM would be best, maybe ending up at 3AM the next morning but you would still have to leave out some line. Even busing across short distances like Spring Valley to Suffern. Plus your focus would have to be riding, riding, riding with no time to smell the roses. Or probably even eat anything of value (that of course is subjective). Over three days, you might succeed, but be too beat to enjoy or remember! I put these types of trips together all the time for myself, friends, and anyone who enlists my services.

You can't ride the whole system without using another transit agency to get you from Philadelphia to Trenton.

The Machine wrote:

You can't ride the whole system without using another transit agency to get you from Philadelphia to Trenton

What about the River LINE? That should count as part of the challenge too.

There's no direct connection between the riverLINE and the Atlantic City Line. You'll have to walk between them or take PATCO.

Or take a NJ Transit bus. Which is included in the slightly more expensive "interstate" ticket.

It's 3:00 AM, let's start!

Don31 wrote:It's 3:00 AM, let's start!

7 Train already has 2 cars reserved just for us!

In reality, with limited service beyond points like Dover and Raritan it might be a bit of a challenge. Also, you would have to find a way to 30th Street Philadelphia. Taking the Light Rail or Patco would not give you the whole AC Line in one shot.

It could probably be done, but it would certainly take all day if you started at the very beginning of the day.

Having made the trip from AC to Metropark more times then I ever wanted to, that is a LONG ride, even if you have perfect connections - the best I was able to do was the roughtly 80 minute ride to 30th St. from AC, about a 35-40 minute ride on SEPTA from 30th St. to Trenton (evening rush hour express, express to Torresdale or Cornwells Heights IIRC) which I RAN to from my AC train, and left within a minute) to an NJT connecting train in Trenton for the 45 or so minute ride to Metropark.

So unless you were to leave your car in AC and get a ride there or back, i think you would have much better success leaving out the AC trip. The RVL isn't that bad with midday service to High Bridge now......I think it would be much tougher to catch a train over the Boonton Line. (WEST OF MSU)

Raritan Express wrote:

The Machine wrote:

You can't ride the whole system without using another transit agency to get you from Philadelphia to Trenton

What about the River LINE? That should count as part of the challenge too.

There's no direct connection between the riverLINE and the Atlantic City Line. You'll have to walk between them or take PATCO.

That kinda negates the need to go to Philly at all. Change at Camden.

The furthest this author managed in one day on a Special Excursion Ticket was the end of the Morristown Line (Dover) followed by the end of the Raritan Valley Line (Raritan), that is on weekends.

I would think you'd need to drop the ACL to make it practical. And you'd have to run this on a weekday. You could cheat slightly by taking the Transport of Rockland 59 bus between Suffern and Spring Valley. A scheduling nightmare no doubt.

My group(s) have done Port Jervis to Bay Head and return; High Bridge to Newark to Philly to Camden to Lindonwold to Camden to Trenton to Newark to High Bridge; numerous trips from Hackettstown and Dover to all points on NJT, MNRR, and LIRR and return in one day. Included are bus, light rail, subway, and shoe leather to make connections and know that some rides can only be done on certain days of the week. It would be difficult, very difficult, to do all of NJT in one day. Plus you would have to use other than heavy rail to do it unless you continuously backtracked.

The Machine wrote: 9:27 Hoboken to 11:00* Gladstone
10:43 Gladstone to 11:28 Summit
*It will really be quicker than this. But the connection will be VERY CLOSE.

Well actually its so close that its not possible. Due to the Gladstone Line being single track the 11am arrival into Gladstone (413) meets the 1043am departure from Gladstone (420) at Far Hills.

I've been looking into this challenge. I've got a solution that covers all the NJT commuter rail in Jersey except for the ACL. It goes into New York but no further than necessary, so it turns back at Suffern and Pearl River. It takes 23 hours and 45 minutes.

The tightest connections are at Broad St and Pearl River. Broad St doesn't worry me much because that's on the same platform and sometimes they even hold the connecting train, plus it's mid-afternoon so delays are less likely. Pearl River seems like the biggest risk because that late at night there might be work going on.

We take the 05:06:00 EDT North Jersey Coast Line from BAY HEAD to NEWARK PENN STATION, arriving at 06:53:00 EDT
We wait 15 minutes at NEWARK PENN STATION
We take the 07:08:00 EDT Raritan Valley Line from NEWARK PENN STATION to HIGH BRIDGE, arriving at 08:39:00 EDT
We wait 39 minutes at High Bridge
We take the 09:18:00 EDT Raritan Valley Line from HIGH BRIDGE to NEW YORK PENN STATION, arriving at 11:10:00 EDT
We wait 19 minutes at New York Penn
We take the 11:29:00 EDT Montclair-Boonton Line from NEW YORK PENN STATION to FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL, arriving at 11:38:00 EDT
WALK to FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL
We wait 10 minutes at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL
We take the 11:49:00 EDT Bergen County Line from FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL to SUFFERN, arriving at 12:48:00 EDT
We wait 6 minutes at Suffern
We take the 12:54:00 EDT Main Line from SUFFERN to FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL, arriving at 13:52:00 EDT
WALK to FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
We wait 8 minutes at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
We take the 14:01:00 EDT Morris & Essex Line from FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL to NEWARK BROAD ST, arriving at 14:11:00 EDT
We wait 5 minutes at NEWARK BROAD ST
We take the 14:16:00 EDT Montclair-Boonton Line from NEWARK BROAD ST to DOVER, arriving at 15:29:00 EDT
We wait 13 minutes at DOVER
We take the 15:42:00 EDT Morris & Essex Line from DOVER to HACKETTSTOWN, arriving at 16:23:00 EDT
We wait 28 minutes at Hackettstown
We take the 16:51:00 EDT Morris & Essex Line from HACKETTSTOWN to SUMMIT, arriving at 18:05:00 EDT
We wait 7 minutes at SUMMIT
We take the 18:12:00 EDT Gladstone Branch from SUMMIT to GLADSTONE, arriving at 19:01:00 EDT
We wait 120 minutes at Gladstone - maybe eat dinner at the Gladstone Tavern
We take the 21:01:00 EDT Gladstone Branch from GLADSTONE to HOBOKEN, arriving at 22:36:00 EDT
We wait 37 minutes at HOBOKEN
We take the 23:13:00 EDT Pascack Valley Line from HOBOKEN to PEARL RIVER, arriving at 00:13:00 EDT
We wait 5 minutes at Pearl River
We take the 00:18:00 EDT Pascack Valley Line from PEARL RIVER to FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL, arriving at 01:07:00 EDT
WALK to FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
We wait 23 minutes at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
We take the 01:31:00 EDT Northeast Corridor from FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL to TRENTON TRANSIT CENTER, arriving at 03:06:00 EDT
We wait 42 minutes at Trenton
We take the 03:48:00 EDT Northeast Corridor from TRENTON TRANSIT CENTER to PRINCETON JCT., arriving at 04:00:00 EDT
We wait 46 minutes at PRINCETON JCT.
We take the 04:46:00 EDT Princeton Shuttle from PRINCETON JCT. to PRINCETON, arriving at 04:51:00 EDT

Actually I forgot you can walk from Gladstone to Peapack and get back an hour earlier. So this is one with somewhat more relaxed connections.

05:06:00 EDT from BAY HEAD take the North Jersey Coast Line
06:53:00 EDT arrive at NEWARK PENN STATION
06:53:00 EDT kill 15 minutes at NEWARK PENN STATION
07:08:00 EDT: from NEWARK PENN STATION take train 5711 on the Raritan Valley Line
08:39:00 EDT: arrive at HIGH BRIDGE
08:39:00 EDT: kill 39 minutes at High Bridge
09:18:00 EDT: from HIGH BRIDGE take train 5170 on the Raritan Valley Line
11:10:00 EDT: arrive at NEW YORK PENN STATION
11:10:00 EDT: kill 19 minutes at New York Penn
11:29:00 EDT: from NEW YORK PENN STATION take train 6237 on the Montclair-Boonton Line
11:38:00 EDT: arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
11:38:00 EDT: start walking toward FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL
11:40:00 EDT: arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL
11:40:00 EDT: kill 9 minutes at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL
11:49:00 EDT: from FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL take train 1153 on the Bergen County Line
12:48:00 EDT: arrive at SUFFERN
12:48:00 EDT: kill 6 minutes at Suffern
12:54:00 EDT: from SUFFERN take train 0062 on the Port Jervis Line
13:52:00 EDT: arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL
13:52:00 EDT: start walking toward FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
13:54:00 EDT: arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
13:54:00 EDT: kill 7 minutes at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
14:01:00 EDT: from FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL take train 6631 on the Morris & Essex Line
14:11:00 EDT: arrive at NEWARK BROAD ST
14:11:00 EDT: kill 5 minutes at NEWARK BROAD ST
14:16:00 EDT: from NEWARK BROAD ST take train 1001 on the Montclair-Boonton Line
15:29:00 EDT: arrive at DOVER
15:29:00 EDT: kill 13 minutes at DOVER
15:42:00 EDT: from DOVER take train 0877 on the Morris & Essex Line
16:23:00 EDT: arrive at HACKETTSTOWN
16:23:00 EDT: kill 28 minutes at Hackettstown
16:51:00 EDT: from HACKETTSTOWN take train 0880 on the Morris & Essex Line
18:05:00 EDT: arrive at SUMMIT
18:05:00 EDT: kill 7 minutes at SUMMIT
18:12:00 EDT: from SUMMIT take train 0433 on the Gladstone Branch
19:01:00 EDT: arrive at GLADSTONE
19:01:00 EDT: start walking toward PEAPACK
19:16:00 EDT: arrive at PEAPACK
19:16:00 EDT: kill 42 minutes at PEAPACK
20:08:00 EDT: from PEAPACK take train 0434 on the Gladstone Branch
21:24:00 EDT: arrive at HOBOKEN
21:24:00 EDT: kill 18 minutes at HOBOKEN
21:42:00 EDT: from HOBOKEN take train 1645 on the Pascack Valley Line
22:42:00 EDT: arrive at PEARL RIVER
22:42:00 EDT: kill 96 minutes at Pearl River
00:18:00 EDT: from PEARL RIVER take train 1636 on the Pascack Valley Line
01:07:00 EDT: arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL
01:07:00 EDT: start walking toward FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
01:09:00 EDT: arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
01:09:00 EDT: kill 22 minutes at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
01:31:00 EDT: from FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL take train 3805 on the Northeast Corridor
03:06:00 EDT: arrive at TRENTON TRANSIT CENTER
03:06:00 EDT: kill 42 minutes at Trenton
03:48:00 EDT: from TRENTON TRANSIT CENTER take train 3806 on the Northeast Corridor
04:00:00 EDT: arrive at PRINCETON JCT.
04:00:00 EDT: kill 46 minutes at PRINCETON JCT.
04:46:00 EDT: from PRINCETON JCT. take train 4105 on the Princeton Shuttle
04:51:00 EDT: arrive at PRINCETON

Here's how you could ride the whole system, including all the Metro North parts, in 30 hours.

20170920-0350 : From PORT JERVIS, take train 0042 on the Port Jervis Line with head sign HOBOKEN
20170920-0527 : Arrive at RIDGEWOOD. Kill 14 minutes at RIDGEWOOD.
20170920-0541 : From RIDGEWOOD, take train 1102 on the Main/Bergen County Line with head sign HOBOKEN
20170920-0559 : At CLIFTON stay on the train as it becomes the the Main/Bergen County Line with head sign HOBOKEN
20170920-0618 : Arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL.
[Now I've covered the Main Line. I will have to come back for the Bergen Line.]
20170920-0618 : From FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL, start walking toward FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
20170920-0620 : Arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL. Kill 9 minutes at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL.
20170920-0629 : From FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL, take train 3217 on the North Jersey Coast Line with head sign LONG BRANCH
20170920-0637 : Arrive at NEWARK PENN STATION. Kill 31 minutes at NEWARK PENN STATION.
20170920-0708 : From NEWARK PENN STATION, take train 5711 on the Raritan Valley Line with head sign HIGH BRIDGE
20170920-0839 : Arrive at HIGH BRIDGE. Kill 39 minutes at HIGH BRIDGE.
20170920-0918 : From HIGH BRIDGE, take train 5170 on the Raritan Valley Line with head sign NEW YORK PENN STATION
20170920-1110 : Arrive at NEW YORK PENN STATION. Kill 19 minutes at NEW YORK PENN STATION.
20170920-1129 : From NEW YORK PENN STATION, take train 6237 on the Montclair-Boonton Line with head sign MSU
20170920-1138 : Arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL.
20170920-1138 : From FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL, start walking toward FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL
20170920-1140 : Arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL. Kill 9 minutes at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL.
20170920-1149 : From FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL, take train 1153 on the Main/Bergen County Line with head sign SUFFERN
20170920-1222 : Arrive at RIDGEWOOD. Kill 54 minutes at RIDGEWOOD.
[If I'm lucky, I can catch train 1168 at 12:26. But if not, the backup is...]
20170920-1316 : From RIDGEWOOD, take train 62 on the Main/Bergen County Line with head sign HOBOKEN
20170920-1352 : Arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL.
20170920-1352 : From FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL, start walking toward FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
20170920-1354 : Arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL. Kill 7 minutes at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL.
[If I'm early, I can catch train 6245 at 1337 to MSU. But if not, the backup is...]
20170920-1401 : From FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL, take train 6631 on the Morris & Essex Line with head sign DOVER
20170920-1411 : Arrive at NEWARK BROAD ST. Kill 5 minutes at NEWARK BROAD ST.
20170920-1416 : From NEWARK BROAD ST take train 1001 on the Montclair-Boonton Line with head sign DOVER
20170920-1529 : Arrive at DOVER. Kill 13 minutes at DOVER.
20170920-1542 : From DOVER, take train 0877 on the Morris & Essex Line with head sign HACKETTSTOWN
20170920-1623 : Arrive at HACKETTSTOWN. Kill 28 minutes at HACKETTSTOWN.
20170920-1651 : From HACKETTSTOWN, take train 0880 on the Morris & Essex Line with head sign HOBOKEN
20170920-1805 : Arrive at SUMMIT. Kill 9 minutes at SUMMIT.
20170920-1814 : From SUMMIT, take train 0433 on the Gladstone Branch line with head sign GLADSTONE
20170920-1903 : Arrive at GLADSTONE.
20170920-1903 : From GLADSTONE, start walking toward PEAPACK
20170920-1918 : Arrive at PEAPACK. Kill 50 minutes at PEAPACK.
20170920-2008 : From PEAPACK, take train 0434 on the Gladstone Branch line with head sign HOBOKEN
20170920-2124 : Arrive at HOBOKEN. Kill 20 minutes at HOBOKEN.
20170920-2144 : From HOBOKEN, take train 1645 on the Pascack Valley Line with head sign SPRING VALLEY
20170920-2254 : Arrive at SPRING VALLEY. Kill 71 minutes at SPRING VALLEY.
20170921-0005 : From SPRING VALLEY, take train 1636 on the Pascack Valley Line with head sign HOBOKEN
20170921-0107 : Arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL.
20170921-0107 : From FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS LOWER LEVEL, start walking toward FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL
20170921-0109 : Arrive at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL. Kill 22 minutes at FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL.
20170921-0131 : From FRANK R LAUTENBERG SECAUCUS UPPER LEVEL, take train 3805 on the Northeast Corridor line with head sign TRENTON TRANSIT CENTER
20170921-0242 : Arrive at PRINCETON JCT.. Kill 124 minutes at PRINCETON JCT..
20170921-0446 : From PRINCETON JCT., take train 4105 on the Princeton Shuttle line with head sign PRINCETON
20170921-0451 : Arrive at PRINCETON. Kill 32 minutes at PRINCETON.
20170921-0523 : From PRINCETON, take train 4108 on the Princeton Shuttle line with head sign PRINCETON JCT.
20170921-0528 : Arrive at PRINCETON JCT.. Kill 6 minutes at PRINCETON JCT..
20170921-0534 : From PRINCETON JCT., take train 3809 on the Northeast Corridor line with head sign TRENTON TRANSIT CENTER
20170921-0554 : Arrive at TRENTON TRANSIT CENTER. Kill 17 minutes at TRENTON TRANSIT CENTER.
20170921-0611 : From TRENTON TRANSIT CENTER, take train 3818 on the Northeast Corridor line with head sign NEW YORK PENN STATION
20170921-0703 : Arrive at RAHWAY. Kill 36 minutes at RAHWAY.
20170921-0739 : From RAHWAY, take train 3221 on the North Jersey Coast Line with head sign LONG BRANCH
20170921-0838 : Arrive at LONG BRANCH. Kill 7 minutes at LONG BRANCH.
20170921-0845 : From LONG BRANCH, take train 4321 on the North Jersey Coast Line with head sign BAY HEAD
20170921-0928 : Arrive at BAY HEAD.

AC is do-able with RIVER line from Trenton to Pennsauken and a 100 foot walk. But you would have to go to Camden first (as the RIVER line is part of NJT) then Pennsauken to AC. AC to 30th street Philly then SEPTA to Trenton.