Am I correct that the River Line is 34 miles end-to-end? How many miles of it are single-track? As I recall, all the street running in Camden is double-track, but in the center of Burlington it is single. Thanks.
This is a draft of an answer to my own question. I welcome comments and corrections. Thanks!
River Line trip, Sunday, March 21, 2004
To conform to station signs, I will use as direction south to Camden, north to Trenton. This gets a bit problematic with East and West Broad Street in Burlington and some street signs in Palmyra.
I rode in car 3520, the lead of a two-car train that left Trenton at 1:15 p.m. It was crowded.
TRENTON. Two side platforms. One ticket machine on "northbound" side, two on southbound. There is no indication which train is next to Camden.
Near milepost 33, we took the crossover to the right-hand track.
HAMILTON AVENUE station, side platforms, double track. A sports area (Sovereign) is adjacent to the southbound platform.
CASS STREET station, side platforms, double track. McDonald’s is conveniently adjacent to the northbound platform. Along the west side, is the Trenton State Prison. Railfan prisoners have no windows facing the tracks. I won't visit.
About milepost 29, we waited two minutes to enter single track. North of Bordentown, there is a fenced walkway on the light rail bridge near a marina. Maybe a good photo op can be reached from Bordentown station, or maybe the walkway near the marina is private property.
BORDENTOWN, single track station on a curve, with a parking lot in between the River Line and what appears to be the original route to South Amboy. The parking lot appears to be in a residential area. Fifty people boarded the train.
About milepost 27, we entered double track, soon back to single track. Long picturesque stretch along the Delaware River.
ROEBLING, single track platform on west side. Roebling is newer than Florence. Charles Roebling (son of John Augustus Roebling) built a steel mill, wire rope plant, and housing for workers here after he purchased the property near Kinkora station about 1904. Some of the former company houses line the east side of River Line. Between Roebling and Florence, there is construction for the addition of a second track or a roadway along the west side of the track. What is the project? We then go under the NJ Turnpike connector to the Penn Turnpike.
FLORENCE, an island platform with double-track. Roebling station may be closer to the Florence business district than the Florence park-and-ride is. Link for history of Florence and Roebling: http://www.florence-nj.com
Florence is the River Line’s largest Park and Ride station, with 625 parking spaces between the light rail and U.S. 130 and a nearby entrance to the Turnpike connector. Twenty passengers boarded. On double track west of Florence, an northbound car passed. Still double-track at milepost 20. Then we passed a Conrail yard on the west side. Then single track into Burlington.
BURLINGTON TOWN CENTRE. There is a single track on reserved right-of-way down the center of Broad Street, with traffic signals coordinated with light rail signals. Fifteen boarded. If you walk south on High Street about ten minutes, you will find KFC and its restrooms at the corner of U.S. 130. McDonald’s and Burger King are also nearby on U.S. 130. Back to the River Line, about a quarter-mile south, double track begins when the line leaves the center of Broad Street. Link about history of Burlington City: http://08016.com
BURLINGTON SOUTH, double track, side platforms. The parking lot is the route’s third largest, with 415 spaces. At milepost 17, we are still on double track.
BEVERLY, single track, platform on southbound side. Fifteen passengers and a polite ticket inspector boarded, unlike gruff inspectors met on Paris buses.)
DELANCO, double-track station with two platforms. A parallel street would seem to provide a good photo op for cars crossing the bridge.
At 1:57 (42 minutes out of Trenton) we passed an eastbound car on the Rancocas Creek bridge between Delanco and Riverside.
RIVERSIDE, double-track, with station south of bridge but north of the business street crossing.
Soon back to single track. Then double at milepost 10(?).
CINNAMINSON, double-track with island platform.
RIVERTON, single track. Fifteen boarded. Still single track at milepost 8.
PALMYRA, single track, eight boarded.
Double track at milepost 7.
RT. 73, PENNSAUKEN. This has the system’s second largest parking lot, with 457 spaces. We had a meet at this station. Then into single. At milepost 4 still on single. Double track begins just north of 36th Street station..
36TH STREET, CAMDEN. (Double track for the remainder of the route to the Entertainment Center?)
WALTER RAND TRANSPORTATION CENTER, CAMDEN
COOPER STREET, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, CAMDEN. Street-running.
AQUARIUM, CAMDEN.
ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, CAMDEN.
A route description better than mine is at http://www.stationreporter.net/riverline.htm
My return trip from 36th Street east was aboard a packed single car. I waited at Burlington for the photo of the westbound on Broad St, found KFC, then discovered the eastbound was 15+ minutes late. It was packed.
I hope the reporters who wrote "Nobody rides River Line" were around.