Trans-Regional Express (T-REX) Proposal

Anyone have further information about this proposal? It was made by the RPA back in 2018 and even made the news once.

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/ ... ice--54482

Some key points of the project include:
-a merger between the LIRR, Metro North, and NJT.
-Manhattan Spine: an underground tunnel adjacent to the Metro North Main line running from the Bronx through Manhattan to Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn.
-Jersey Loop: a loop running from Hoboken through the Manhattan Spine and back out to Bergenline, NJ along a restored West Shore Line and Susquehanna and Western RR passenger line
-conversion of the West Hempstead and Oyster Bay branches into a through light rail line with a loop service near Hempstead, as well as conversion of the Waterbury branch to light rail.
-MOM alignment in central New Jersey (Monmouth Junction Alignment, Matawan Alignment, and Red Bank Alignment)
-Connecticut Metro Express: an express service from Grand Central and Penn until Port Chester where it stops at all local stops in Connecticut.
-Intercity Express: express service on corridors such as the Northeast Corridor (Philadelphia-Trenton-NYC-Stamford-New Haven-Hartford), Trenton to Ronkonkoma, Albany to Ronkonkoma, Albany to Grand Central Station, and Grand Central to New Haven and Hartford.
-JFK connector: a branch from the Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn line to JFK/Aqueduct Racetrack via the Rockaway Beach Branch.
-restoration of numerous stations including Highbridge (Metro North), Elmhurst, Corona, South Jamaica, Buffalo Ave, Woodhaven, Green Acre and Mill Neck (LIRR).
-new yards in Huntington, Hicksville, Western Queens (probably Sunnyside expanded), Green Acres, Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack, Nassau Area?(not specified in proposal, near Hampstead) (LIRR); Port Chester, Tarrytown former GM Plant, Mt. Vernon West, Yonkers Kawasaki Plant, West Farms Bus Depot (Metro North); Palisades Center-West Nyack, Paterson, Summit, Plainfield, Perth Amboy, West End (near Hoboken), and North Bergen-Ridgefield (NJT).

For more information about this interesting proposal, please view the full pdf below.

http://library.rpa.org/pdf/RPA-Trans-Re ... -T-REX.pdf

This "idea" was floated in thread some time ago,is asking 3 states to co-operate on transit matters,that will not fly
with Cuomo's "hands on" stance at NY's MTA.
one heck of a pipe dream.

It kind of loses any last vestige of credibility when it brings up re-opening the Mill Neck LIRR station.

CTG wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 11:18 pm It kind of loses any last vestige of credibility when it brings up re-opening the Mill Neck LIRR station.

As part of a light rail service between essentially Oyster Bay and Valley Stream, hence combining the West Hempstead and Oyster Bay branches as those two have the lowest ridership within the system, according to this study.

I don't see this working at all.

- I don't think the through-running demand is there, at this point in time. The way the city and it's jobs developed over time was to the city - i don't see any shift. Especially considering that Ronkonkoma is far from a city - my bet is the trains would be running 3/4ths empty once they depart NYC. In addition, this would see delays at completely different areas back up services network wide - if a NJT train derailed in Trenton, it would inevitably back up service to Ronkonkoma.

- Light rail seems to be used as an instant solution to low-rider branch lines - I don't think that's a sound idea, because it cuts off through-running services and forces a transfer. I'd instead suggest using some sort of DMU for OB services that don't run-through to penn - possibly add another platform at Mineola for them, but don't convert it into LRT.

- The RBB is just begging to be converted into a NYCT line as opposed to LIRR - there's bell-mouths located at 63rd/Rego for this purpose specifically.

In addition, this assumes you'll get 3 different agencies run with different philosophy to work together. Taxpayers upstate already throw daily fits about how bad it is they have to fund the MTA, imagine three times that. This is the same kinda whole-lotta-nothing plan without much of a basis that comes around every ~3 years or so.