NCS to Broad Street Station ("Newark Light Rail")

[gravelyfan]

Well, it's finally 2006, so we should be abvle to ride this new extension soon, right? I see progress on tracks being laid, but what about the overhead power lines?

Many (if not all) of the catenary structures seem to be up. There is some sort of wire work evident at the two diamond crossover locations (one between Broad Street and University Avenue and the other on the "Penn Station" side of Lombardy Street). As of last week I hadn't seen any wire strung elsewhere.

To update the earlier post, there now appears to be lots of catenary wire strung. Within the last week much of the "inbound" route down Broad STreet seems to have been done. The "outbound" segment on Atlantic Street was done a few weeks ago. I also now see some color light signals installed at the interlockings at Broad Street (signals labeled BS) and Lombardy Street (signals labeled FT). I don't know what FT stands for.

[quadrock]

As of today (2/8), a red, backlit destination sign panel was installing stating "Broad Street Station." Rather nicelooking I'd say.

[AndyB]

From this morning's Jersey Journal (Thur. 02/09/06)

Newark subway section to open in summer
Thursday, February 09, 2006
NEWARK - A new section of the Newark subway opening this summer is the most significant upgrade for the city since service opened in the 1930s.

The one-mile loop will link Newark Penn Station and its sister Broad Street Station with five new stops in downtown Newark, including the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

City officials say the $207.7 million project, paid for with federal and state dollars and operated by NJ Transit, will help Newark spur its long-awaited downtown renaissance.

[themallard]

It also noted:

City officials hope that convenience also will bring more residential development in downtown Newark.

This spring, developers plan to tear down a four-story, brick warehouse across from the Broad Street Station for 500 to 1,000 condos, said Danny Gale, president of Gale Urban Solutions, a partner in the project. While construction would not start for several years, Gale said the subway connection makes the area more desirable for developers.

[MickD]

Anyone know anything about Gale Urban Solutions? Google search turned up only one obscure reference. There's got to be a considerable cost for envoirmental cleanup to go with Westinghouse site. Didn't look like much was being done in that direction last time I was there. It'll be real interesting to see what effect this has on the neighborhoods immediately surrounding Broad Street station in the next 5-10 years.

[ryanov]

The catenary wire appears to all be up, at least everywhere that is visible while riding down Broad Street on a bus. The station signs are up too at Washington Park and Broad Street. Seems a little much to have one at every post, but whatever.

Looks like they're in good shape. The tracks look like hell already though. I guess they clean up easily.

[gravelyfan]

Something new on Tuesday (March 7) -- many of the traffic lights and "bar position" light (or whatever they are called - the signals controlling LRT at street crossings) were turned on. They were seemingly in some sort of test mode, with the road signals flashing yellow or red depending on location, and the LRT bar signals at stop. The LRT "Home" signals at Broad Street and Lombardy street were not lit.

[railtrailbiker]

NJ TRANSIT will reach another milestone of the Newark City Subway extension project on Wednesday, March 15, as newly installed overhead wires that power rail cars are energized for the first time between Newark Penn Station and Broad Street Station.

In advance of the electrification, NJ TRANSIT is reminding the public to exercise extreme caution around the subway extension project, which includes tracks that run along McCarter Highway (Route 21) through Atlantic Street to Broad Street Station and through Lombardy Street along Broad Street to Broad Street Station. All overhead wires should be considered live at all times.

http://www.njtransit.com/nn_press_relea ... SE_ID=2191

[gravelyfan]

Over this past weekend Lombardy Street was reopened to traffic (between Atlantic and Broad). It had been closed for months. Also, traffic on Atlantic Street has been permanently "reversed"; it's now one-way south (from Bridge St. to Lombardy St) (which will be the opposite of the light rail current of traffic there). There is a curb-height "median" separating the light rail from the roadway lanes.

[kilroy]

There is a curb-height "median" separating the light rail from the roadway lanes.

Having worked at Mutual Benefit Life for many years, what side of Lombardy Street are the tracks? I assume they are on the MBL (Now IDT side) so the cars can access the parking garage, correct?

Randy

[gravelyfan]

There is a curb-height "median" separating the light rail from the roadway lanes.

Having worked at Mutual Benefit Life for many years, what side of Lombardy Street are the tracks? I assume they are on the MBL (Now IDT side) so the cars can access the parking garage, correct?

Randy

The median I am referring to is on Atlantic Street. The outbound LR track is on the east side of Atlantic (closest to the garage). Autos going into or out of the garage will cross the LRT track to get to/from the street.

The inbound LR track uses the south side of Lombardi Street from Broad to Atlantic.

South of Atlantic, the two tracks come together and run as a 2-track alignment alongside Route 21. There is a diamond crossover just south of Lombardy Street.

I'll look tonight at Lombardy Street to see if there is a median there.

[gravelyfan]

Update:
I'm told by those in the know that a Light Rail Car was pushed onto the new extension today, all the way to Broad Street Station (DL&W) via the outbound track. They were testing clearances, etc. Wire to be turned on soon. Inbound track is supposedly not passable yet at the Broad/Lombardy St intersection due to the temporary pavement over the tracks.

Noticed that the automobile traffic signals at the grade crossings are no longer flashing but appear to be in a normal (green, yellow, red) mode.

A Loram Rail Grinder set up was observed parked on the track at Lombardy Street this evening.

[quadrock]

Just saw it on 3/29. It was vehicle number 108A-108B. The power in the vehicle was all turned off, and someone was performing catenary work further east.

[quadrock]

As of today, 3/30, the light rail vehicle was moved somewhere else, as it was no longer in the Broad Street Station area from what I could see. Most of the work being performed now seems to be the placing of brickwork on the plaza area between the two stations (rail and light rail).

[ryanov]

Interestingly enough, it looks like there is actually to be no street running whatsoever. This was my major problem with it initially -- not having street running may make it a pretty decent system, provided there are not cars blocking the crossings.