There is only one way that the service on the PVL and PJL can get better and that is for the MTA to take control of the expresses away from NJT. NJT has been eating its capital base without much reinvestment and that is beginning to show. It will get quite a bit worse though. They are short cars. They are short engines. They are short maintenance personnel to keep whatever equipment they have in revenue service. Until recently they lacked enough engineers and they could still use a few more in order to cut overtime. The new governor promised NJT extra money. It is not going to show up -- the new taxes he wants are not going to happen, at least not all of them and whatever extra money shows up from the ones that pass will go to other "priorities".
The MTA needs to bite the bullet and spend the $1B+ that is needed to:
1. Restore the connection from Spring Valley to Suffern so that the expresses do not end at Spring Valley, but can get Campbell Hall -- see 2 below as for why.
2. Build the mid-line yard at Campbell Hall and establish a maintenance center there for all West of Hudson equipment, also overnight all equipment there.
3. Run the PVL and PJL expresses itself by paying NJT access fees (the MTA effectively pays these fees now, they are just not called that).
4. Pay NJT to lay over equipment at Hoboken or buy space from NS or buy a portion of the old Boonton line and just lay over the equipment there (the MTA effectively pays fees now to lay over the equipment at Hoboken now too, the fee is not explicit though).
By doing this MTA will control the equipment, crews and for the most part the schedules. They will still be at the mercy of NJT dispatching, but that cannot be avoided without a bridge over the Hudson and a connection to the Hudson line and that is a proposition that is a way way more expensive. Cancellations will become much rarer and on top of that both Rockland and Orange Counties will have no reason to complain that they are not getting enough out of the MTA for the taxes they pay. Until this happens people can complain and whine, but nothing is going to change.
The locals can be left to NJT with whatever agreement can be worked out -- it is not as if NJT can easily cut the service at the border. The MTA should continue paying NJT something for the locals at Spring Valley and Suffern anyway, but the expresses where the MTA ridership is will be much improved.