I use Tuxedo station the most, and an express stopping at all NY stops plus Route 17 takes about 45 minutes to reach Secaucus, while a local takes 1:10. 25 minute difference. I have to drive 20-25 minutes to get to Tuxedo, and if I take the express train, it is faster than driving to the same destination if going to midtown or lower Manhattan. The local is almost never faster than driving, except during rush hours when all the trains are express anyways. I don't depend on the line every day to get to work, but I think it's a convenient, straight forward way to get to NYC if I wish to spend a day there. No traffic tie ups or parking headaches, just get on the train and be there an hour later. That being said, I typically plan my day so that I am taking express trains.
The Port Jervis Line is well ridden during rush hours, shown by the fact that they use two 7 car trains, and run every half hour. I don't really think there needs to be any additional peak hour trains added for a while. Adding cars to the existing trains should work for now. Mid days and weekends are where there is room to grow. As was mentioned earlier, when the portion of the line east of Suffern got more frequent mid day and weekend service, ridership increased greatly. They've already taken steps to improve this by adding the additional afternoon train. Previously, there was a 3+ hour gap between old 49 (now 47) and 51 (last train before peak hours), which has been filled in, and I'm sure ridership has increased as a result.
I don't get all the fuss about the transfers to reach NYC. Like you can't just make the train magically appear wherever you want it. The current setup gives people easy access to many different areas in Manhattan, rather than just one. Are Americans really that lazy that they refuse to ride a train (or any public transportation for that matter) if they have to make one simple transfer? If that's the case, that isn't something NJT or MNCR could really solve.
Some improvements that would be of minimal cost (relatively speaking) could be to have 47 and 66 run all the way to Port Jervis (eliminating a 6 hour gap between 45 and 51) and having the set from 49 carry passengers instead of running empty back to Hoboken (would be useful for those going to spend an evening in the city).
After those improvements, the next ones could be to make some of the local trains go express in NJ. 62 and 67 would be the most important trains to do this with. There have been a few occasions when I have changed plans so I could take 58 instead of 62 because it's express. 67 would be more attractive to those spending an evening in the city if it were express than local as it is now. If NJ Transit adds trains to make 62 and 67 express, 45 and 68 would also get to become express because of the opposite run of that equipment.
If additional sidings are added, I could see adding a reverse peak train, which could return as an additional late evening express (leaving Hoboken 11-11:30pm). That timing would be perfect to those attending nighttime sporting events, Broadway shows, etc. However, this requires additional infrastructure, and would be much more expensive than the two improvements I listed earlier.
With regard to ridership, it's sort of a chicken and the egg kind of thing. If service is slow and infrequent, fewer people will ride the trains, but if there is low ridership, there's less incentive to improve service.
The Port Jervis Line is well ridden during rush hours, shown by the fact that they use two 7 car trains, and run every half hour. I don't really think there needs to be any additional peak hour trains added for a while. Adding cars to the existing trains should work for now. Mid days and weekends are where there is room to grow. As was mentioned earlier, when the portion of the line east of Suffern got more frequent mid day and weekend service, ridership increased greatly. They've already taken steps to improve this by adding the additional afternoon train. Previously, there was a 3+ hour gap between old 49 (now 47) and 51 (last train before peak hours), which has been filled in, and I'm sure ridership has increased as a result.
I don't get all the fuss about the transfers to reach NYC. Like you can't just make the train magically appear wherever you want it. The current setup gives people easy access to many different areas in Manhattan, rather than just one. Are Americans really that lazy that they refuse to ride a train (or any public transportation for that matter) if they have to make one simple transfer? If that's the case, that isn't something NJT or MNCR could really solve.
Some improvements that would be of minimal cost (relatively speaking) could be to have 47 and 66 run all the way to Port Jervis (eliminating a 6 hour gap between 45 and 51) and having the set from 49 carry passengers instead of running empty back to Hoboken (would be useful for those going to spend an evening in the city).
After those improvements, the next ones could be to make some of the local trains go express in NJ. 62 and 67 would be the most important trains to do this with. There have been a few occasions when I have changed plans so I could take 58 instead of 62 because it's express. 67 would be more attractive to those spending an evening in the city if it were express than local as it is now. If NJ Transit adds trains to make 62 and 67 express, 45 and 68 would also get to become express because of the opposite run of that equipment.
If additional sidings are added, I could see adding a reverse peak train, which could return as an additional late evening express (leaving Hoboken 11-11:30pm). That timing would be perfect to those attending nighttime sporting events, Broadway shows, etc. However, this requires additional infrastructure, and would be much more expensive than the two improvements I listed earlier.
With regard to ridership, it's sort of a chicken and the egg kind of thing. If service is slow and infrequent, fewer people will ride the trains, but if there is low ridership, there's less incentive to improve service.