MOM Rail Service

[ryanov]

He brought it up as an example of growing intrastate travel, not the merits of the project moneywise.

[Mark Schweber]

He brought it up as an example of growing intrastate travel, not the merits of the project moneywise

But it is fair to respond to the comments about its usage with comments about that usage on a "cost/benefit" basis - that it cost too much for the benefits accrued. Otherwise someone can get in "one free shot" by posting something off topic and no one can disagree and point out a different angle.

[Irish Chieftain]

Where the different angles apply to the topic at hand, it would make sense. NY&LB's diatribe seemed to be pulling it in as many directions as to suggest that the MOM project was identical to the River Line, not to mention complaining about aspects that are more on-topic for the NJT light rail forum and do not apply to this thread. It does a thread no justice to take a brief mention of something else and then pull it apart like salt-water taffy.

[NY&LB]

Mark,

Thank you and indeed I would not have brought the River Line into the discussion if Mr. Bowen hadn't done so first. Basically, I agree with Jtgstu on the routing and the main other point I wanted to make was that rail service must get people where they want to go in a timely fashion, the current schedules are deplorable given what used to be done and the fact that millions have been poured into the infrastructure with no resultant improvement in performance from a time perspectous, yes frequency has been increased but I would like to see travel time reduced. The issue of travel time has been brought up over and over in many threads and applies to almost ALL NJT lines, travel times do nothing but creep up and the need to be reduced. MOM, IMHO, could become another sink hole for scarce resources and result in a route that does not achieve the goal of reducing traffic on the north/south routes (rt 1/9, 35 and GSP). I hope that gets this back on track.

So I do not feel the need to apologize for commenting on the River Line when I was NOT the first to bring in up in this thread.

[Irish Chieftain]

Nobody was calling for an apology. Mr. Bowen brought but one aspect of the River Line into the discussion, that being intrastate travel by rail. It would have been courteous to focus on that instead of pulling the thread off-topic as you did.

As to the funding and supposed cost overruns, then take note that there are many other state programs over which you can bellyache that many more billions were wasted on, and serve far less purpose than the reactivated Camden & Amboy does. Bringing us back on topic, would you complain as vociferously if the final cost of MOM was double that of the River Line?

Also, infrastructure spending by itself is not conducive to increasing running speeds; proper signaling is the key there.

[NY&LB]

Irish,

Yes, $2B would be TOO much to build MOM, IMHO.

With respect to running times, you say signalling is key, then how do you explain the constant reduction of running times across almost ALL NJT lines? Has signal technology (or how it's implemented) gotten worse over the last 50 years?

What needs to be done to INCREASE running times?

[Irish Chieftain]

Ironically, a lot of NJT territory has some advanced signaling, but not enough; at least not enough to permit fast running as on the Northeast Corridor. FRA regulations have a bit to do with this. There are some NJT rails on here that can explain the particulars, because they can get convoluted...

[braves]

I believe that the MOM rail project should be completed before the ARC rail
project is completed near term project, MOM rail riders & Raritan Valley line riders would have an easy transfer connection to the New York train at Newark if NJT can add a few shuttle trains between Newark & New York as part of ARC rail project near term project.

[Irish Chieftain]

You've just overloaded Newark prematurely, the problem is. Not so easy if you don't have the capacity at your northern terminal, correct? Plus you have to reshuffle all of the existing slots on the NEC, creating even more problems within Newark.

MOM is not going to NY Penn, in case you did not know. NJT does not run "shuttle trains" into NY Penn, nor does it have the room to do so—besides, it would never run a PATH-like operation.

[nick11a]

I wouldn't mind having it stop in Newark then proceed to Hoboken down the Waterfront Connection. It would also add increased Hoboken service on the Newark Division. The passengers would then take PATH or another train into NY. But yes, capacity in Newark would be a problem during rush hour. But, methinks they could squeeze in time for these trains to stop. What else could they do? Create a little spur off the NEC at Elizabeth and connect it to the CNJ and send it to Jersey City? I'd like that. They could have West Trenton trains, RVL trains and then MOM trains there with decent ferry service to NY for connecting trains. Of course, I'm just dreaming here and this would not happen in reality. So it sounds to me this line would indeed go into Hoboken.

[NJTRailfan]

Persoanlly either MOM or W Trenton should be the first project to go. With the exception of light rail projects the rest should come after. cutoff can come in a bit later but the Cape May project should be dead last in my opinion.

[JLo]

If you went solely by potential ridership numbers, MOM would be number one.

[NJTRailfan]

I actually thought that MOM and W Trenton were on the same level in terms of how many passengers would ride the lines.

I know that MOM and W Trenton would get the most while cutoff was somewhere after that while Cape May compared to the one I mentioned would barely get any.

Hopefully all the light rail projects in Jersey City, Newark and Elizabeth will be accelerated as they will get a hell of alot more passengers then the light rail system in south Jersey even with the extensions or that Cape May Line.

[JLo]

NJTRailfan, I don't think you are right. I'm fairly certain MOM's ridership is projected at much higher numbers. W Trenton adds 5 stations in 4 areas--Hillsborough, Montgomery, Hopewell, W Trenton. MOM adds 10 to 15 stations in 3 counties, 2 of which are experience more growth than any other counties.

[Tom V]

Rail proponents press on with call to build MOM
Plan has support in Monmouth, Ocean; stiff foes in Middlesex
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

Members of the Central Jersey Rail Coalition are seeking additional support for the proposed Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) passenger rail line.

The MOM line — which is one of several regional rail lines being studied by NJ Transit — would run from central Ocean County through western Mon-mouth County and into South Bruns-wick, Middlesex County. There, the MOM line would connect with the Northeast Corridor for service south to Trenton and Philadelphia and north to New York City.

The Manalapan Township Committee heard from proponents of the MOM line at its Sept. 8 meeting. Mark DeGenaro, a resident, Bernard Gindoff, chairman of the Lakewood Transportation and Safety Board, and Hank N. DePasquale, representing the North Ocean County Trans-portation Commission, said they would like to see more progress toward the MOM rail line.

More at..

http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/
2004/0921/Front_Page/002.html