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Discussion related to New Jersey Transit rail and light rail operations.

Moderators: lensovet, Kaback9, nick11a

 #1501412  by F40
 
JoeBas wrote:
EuroStar wrote:
lensovet wrote:again the equipment and manpower simply isn't there to run the trains. feds are right…can't blame them for lack of staff.
NJT is still not done with the PTC installs on all engines. I still see Geeps and PLs sadwiched behind cab cars. I have not seen a 45 or 46 sandwiched behind a cab car for a while, but that does not mean that all of those are complete either.
The lack of engineers is severe and is not going to be resolved for a long time. In spite of the great fanfare last year about having thousands of applicants for engineers, none of the recruits are going to be ready to run a train before close to the end of the year.
By which time a years worth of "Cost Savings" will be in the bank, a year will have passed without steel wheels on steel rail, and whatever commuter base that existed will be so thoroughly disgusted with the delays on the "temporary" Bus Bridge that any restart would have to be from near zero.
I agree with all points. The engineer shortage is real. But I can't help but think that financials has something to do with them not bringing back the AC line in a hurry. Doesn't the new FY for NJT start on July 1?
 #1501503  by Dcell
 
Yes the fiscal year begins July 1 but I doubt the AC line shutdown is saving much money. NJT said all the engineers and conductors were qualified to work on other rail lines so that means they are working and getting paid. Maybe some savings in diesel expenses.
 #1501830  by EuroStar
 
The savings are a lot more than some diesel fuel and wear-and-tear on the equipment. The way NJT has been dealing with the engineer's shortage (and any other workforce shortage -- it is not that we are flush with qualified mechanics and electricians) is by paying overtime. However overtime is expensive, really expensive as it adds not only the 50% to the wages, but also adds to all sorts of benefits including pensions. By shifting the AC crews up north, NJT increases the available pool of engineers up there and reduces the need to pay as much overtime to the crews as it otherwise would were the AC engineers working the AC line. There is still some overtime because even with the addition of the AC crews, there are not enough bodies to run the schedule without overtime. At least not yet.
 #1501832  by EuroStar
 
EuroStar wrote:NJT is still not done with the PTC installs on all engines. I still see Geeps and PLs sadwiched behind cab cars. I have not seen a 45 or 46 sandwiched behind a cab car for a while, but that does not mean that all of those are complete either.
Today I observed 4628 behind a cab car, so the electrics are definitely not done when in comes to the PTC installation. Also as recently as last week I saw 4209 and another one of the geeps (maybe 4219, my memory is not as good as it used to be) behind cab cars.
 #1501858  by JoeBas
 
Another month about to end, with no concrete service resumption in sight.

Would this be tenable if it had not been for the "PTC" installation? Would SJ put up with their line being suspended due purely to a staffing shortage?

At what point do the powers that be decide that the investment of staffing their damned agency properly isn't worth the return? When the passenger base is eroded to zero?

Every day that goes by is another brick in the wall.
 #1501875  by ryanov
 
EuroStar wrote:I have not seen a 45 or 46 sandwiched behind a cab car for a while, but that does not mean that all of those are complete either.
As of less than a week ago, I was still seeing them regularly.

As for the outrage at NJT, South Jersey's BS is a lot of the reason we're in this mess. Elect Christie, don't want to pay taxes, etc... eventually you get a non-functioning railroad. South Jersey also is so poorly developed -- housing developments in former cornfields all over the place -- that it's hard to properly serve with mass transit, so there isn't as much and people don't use what's there because it's not convenient.
 #1501880  by liftedjeep
 
ryanov wrote:
As for the outrage at NJT, South Jersey's BS is a lot of the reason we're in this mess. Elect Christie, don't want to pay taxes, etc... eventually you get a non-functioning railroad. South Jersey also is so poorly developed -- housing developments in former cornfields all over the place -- that it's hard to properly serve with mass transit, so there isn't as much and people don't use what's there because it's not convenient.
I'm guessing you're not from South Jersey due to your idiotic post!

First and foremost, NJ Transit is the reason "we're in this mess", not South Jersey. South Jersey once hosted over two dozen short lines and railroads before they were gobbled up and consolidated by the PRR, and eventually turning into the PRSL, which was one of the most successful railroads in the state of New Jersey.

Of all the municipalities in New Jersey to hold the label of City, Vineland is the largest in total area. Last time I checked, Vineland was located in South Jersey. And my "poorly developed housing development" in my beautiful Southern New Jersey town where I currently reside, is/was nowhere near a cornfield!!

Do your homework next time you post, and wherever you are from, do us all a favor here in South Jersey, and stay there!!!

Ben
 #1501948  by lensovet
 
I still don't understand what you guys are expecting.

You think NJT doesn't want to hire enough people to run all its trains on schedule and on time? It's not like they can snap their fingers and suddenly produce a class of fully trained locomotive engineers overnight.
 #1501963  by R&DB
 
Ryanov amd Liftedjeep:
You guys sound like a Giants/Eagles debate. You each live across a major river from a big city and seem to identify somewhat with those cities. Ben, Ryan is in Newark so give him a break. Ryan, Ben it believe is in Pennsauken area, not exactly a cornfield. Most of Northeastern NJ is city. Most of Southwestern NJ is city. Even though NJ is the Garden State it is NOT Iowa and has few cornfields. (More tomatoes than corn)
I'm halfway between and and appreciate both, but prefer the Pine Barrens where the most important product is oxygen. So take a deep breath and thank us for not paving. Oh, and don't snipe at other parts of our RR community.
Last edited by R&DB on Wed Feb 27, 2019 2:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #1501974  by JoeBas
 
lensovet wrote:I still don't understand what you guys are expecting.
Competence and truthful information. Crazy, I know, right?
lensovet wrote:You think NJT doesn't want to hire enough people to run all its trains on schedule and on time?
Yes, that's exactly what I'm starting to think. I'm starting to think that they'll decide that this "Staffing Shortage" is more than a temporary situation, and that economically with all the OT restoration of service will generate even if staffing levels return high enough to provide service, ridership and revenue will have atrophied from neglect to the point that it's economically not feasible to resume. Enjoy your bus.
 #1501993  by njtmnrrbuff
 
I totally understand the frustration of the ACRL Line’s service not being restored yet. If the ACRL is part of the NJT system, then that line is going through the same issues just like all of the commuter rail lines up north. Even the light rail and bus networks have been experiencing crew shortages. Guys the service won’t get better overnight. It could be another four years until we can probably say it is good enough but not perfect.
 #1502046  by CNJGeep
 
Service to resume May 24th

All the conspiracy whackjobs can take off their foil.
 #1502052  by liftedjeep
 
CNJGeep wrote:Service to resume May 24th

All the conspiracy whackjobs can take off their foil.

https://www.nj.com//traffic/2019/02/goo ... -back.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I will believe it when I see an actual train roll past!!

Ben
 #1502070  by mcgrath618
 
liftedjeep wrote:
CNJGeep wrote:Service to resume May 24th

All the conspiracy whackjobs can take off their foil.

https://www.nj.com//traffic/2019/02/goo ... -back.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I will believe it when I see an actual train roll past!!

Ben
With the way people have been acting I feel like a train is still going to roll past and people will still not believe it.
We got an actual date. It’s coming back.
 #1502090  by JoeBas
 
CNJGeep wrote:Service to resume May 24th

All the conspiracy whackjobs can take off their foil.
Let's see where we are on May 23rd... ;)
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