Reviving passenger service between West Trenton & Bound Brook

Steampowered wrote:I am surprised this hasnt been consider the new Acela path, its make sense to totally bypass all the NEC traffic and head to 30th st. Plus there it could be all brand new track.

Oh boy...

Taborite wrote:

Steampowered wrote:I am surprised this hasnt been consider the new Acela path, its make sense to totally bypass all the NEC traffic and head to 30th st. Plus there it could be all brand new track.

Oh boy...

Someone needs to take a field trip to SEPTAland to ride the R3/West Trenton Line. In addition, CSX owns the tracks from Woodbourne all the way up to whatever junction joins it to the Lehigh Line.

Do you REALLY think that CSX would want to maintain Class 7 track? And, do you REALLY think that the Reading Trunk can accommodate speeds up to 135 mph in addition to the traffic already there? Even if you try to avoid the Reading Trunk via the NYSL, it is still CSX track.

Steampowered wrote:I am surprised this hasnt been consider the new Acela path, its make sense to totally bypass all the NEC traffic and head to 30th st. Plus there it could be all brand new track.

I'm surprised more thought hasn't been giving to dedicated hovercat corridors.

Steampowered wrote:I am surprised this hasnt been consider the new Acela path, its make sense to totally bypass all the NEC traffic and head to 30th st. Plus there it could be all brand new track.

Look up "B&O Royal Blue".

R3 Passenger wrote:

Taborite wrote:

Steampowered wrote:I am surprised this hasnt been consider the new Acela path, its make sense to totally bypass all the NEC traffic and head to 30th st. Plus there it could be all brand new track.

Oh boy...

Someone needs to take a field trip to SEPTAland to ride the R3/West Trenton Line. In addition, CSX owns the tracks from Woodbourne all the way up to whatever junction joins it to the Lehigh Line.

Do you REALLY think that CSX would want to maintain Class 7 track? And, do you REALLY think that the Reading Trunk can accommodate speeds up to 135 mph in addition to the traffic already there? Even if you try to avoid the Reading Trunk via the NYSL, it is still CSX track.

Considering its basically farmland adjacent to most of this line, i think a new track going along side of it wont matter much. I guess amtrak cant think beyond yesterday. You guys are a sensitive bunch.

Steampowered wrote:Considering its basically farmland adjacent to most of this line, i think a new track going along side of it wont matter much. I guess amtrak cant think beyond yesterday. You guys are a sensitive bunch.

You would also need to electrify the new track(s).

cruiser939 wrote:

Steampowered wrote:I am surprised this hasnt been consider the new Acela path, its make sense to totally bypass all the NEC traffic and head to 30th st. Plus there it could be all brand new track.

I'm surprised more thought hasn't been giving to dedicated hovercat corridors.

The NIMBY's are resisting the litter box substations.

Steampowered wrote:

R3 Passenger wrote:

Taborite wrote:
Oh boy...

Someone needs to take a field trip to SEPTAland to ride the R3/West Trenton Line. In addition, CSX owns the tracks from Woodbourne all the way up to whatever junction joins it to the Lehigh Line.

Do you REALLY think that CSX would want to maintain Class 7 track? And, do you REALLY think that the Reading Trunk can accommodate speeds up to 135 mph in addition to the traffic already there? Even if you try to avoid the Reading Trunk via the NYSL, it is still CSX track.

Considering its basically farmland adjacent to most of this line, i think a new track going along side of it wont matter much. I guess amtrak cant think beyond yesterday. You guys are a sensitive bunch.

In New Jersey, perhaps it is farmland. However, south of Woodbourne, the tracks run through fairly populated areas. That would result in an overall speed DECREASE.

Is BuddSilverliner269 in the house? I'm sure he could shed a lot of light on this discussion since he currently runs Acelas and used to run trains up the West Trenton Line as well.

Its not farmland east of say Manville either.......thats quite populated

Im all for thinking outside the box, and I think if done properly the NJT west Trenton Line could be a "relief valve" for the NEC and take some of the pressure off of it, but it will NEVER be a replacement for the NEC through NJ. The NEC is a straight shot through to Trenton and beyond.

Would these acelas stop at Fern Rock or Jenkintown? they could also stop at Suburban, right?

Launcher wrote:Would these acelas stop at Fern Rock or Jenkintown? they could also stop at Suburban, right?

Fern Rock: No. It is not a destination and there would be no market for premium rail service.
Jenkintown: Impossible due to low-level platforms.
Suburban: Yes, quite possibly.

Let's entertain the idea that West Trenton service from NWK to West Trenton is electrified. The only station I can picture that the Acela would stop at, provided HLPs are installed would be Somerton, since it has a small market that could benefit from New York service. Everything else is just a commuter station.

However, the tracks south of Jenkintown cannot handle speeds over 60 mph without significant upgrading and stabilization of the rock cuts.

This will never happen.

I'm assuming there's no real news to be heard about the West Trenton Line?

tgolanos wrote:I'm assuming there's no real news to be heard about the West Trenton Line?

Was just by there earlier, did not see anything newsworthy, sorry.

Acelas on the west trenton line....

...

...

HAHAHAHA.

I was wondering if bypassing the RVL, and its CSX capacity issues at bound brook, as well as the complication of the track layout near bound brook, and sending the route over towards jersey ave would make any sense at all. It could be a shuttle service, like long branch to bay head, or you could try and run through trains to newark, nyp, hoboken. I know the area at jersey ave is pointed in one direction, railroad east, but perhaps trains could reverse and use the mid-line loop?

Ideas, comments, criticisms, suggestions?

Here is a possible route traced out with the path tool on google earth:

http://prntscr.com/348irx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In theory it would work; (most of the ROW is intact and there is little condemnation of structures) but there are 2 concerns which really jump out. Part of the former ROW runs through a Rutgers research facility (which contains NJ's only known old growth forest among other things, so good luck with the DEP) and the inevitable Hillsborough NIMBY problem, which applies to everything but 200 million dollar, three mile side streets.