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NJT/Will commuter trains ever roll on the West Trenton Line?


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#1 Sloan

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Posted 26 May 2015 - 09:18 AM

 

 

Could NJ Transit commuter trains roll once again on the West Trenton Line through Central New Jersey? Stand clear of the closing doors, because the next stop is the mailbag.

http://www.nj.com/tr..._finds_out.html

 

Also in the link is a slide show of SEN Cory Booker (D-NJ) viewing the effects of hurricane Sandy on NJT Hudson River access rail line.

 

 



#2 KevinKorell

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Posted 26 May 2015 - 09:45 AM

I think that one thing that NJT isn't taking into account is that the West Trenton Line runs parallel to the Northeast Corridor, and at least some of the ridership it might gain will come from current NJT Northeast Corridor passengers. With years-long waiting lists for parking permits at places like Princeton Junction, why not shift some of the passengers who drive there from points west of the corridor to a restored West Trenton line? Plus as the article says, it does have the SEPTA connection at the end, so there could be a West Trenton Shuffle going on akin to the Trenton shuffle that takes place downtown.

 

SEPTA and CSX have found ways to coexist on the latter's infrastructure, so NJT should be able to forge a similar relationship with CSX.  Double tracking is more than likely necessary though to be able to offer frequent service. With the SEPTA connection there should be demand in both directions as people could commute either to Philadelphia or the North Jersey/New York City area.

 

The Reading Railroad (and even into the SEPTA days) ran the name trains Wall Street and Crusader through from Philly's Reading Terminal to Jersey City, and of course later with the Aldene Plan to Newark instead.  Consider the possibilities now with dual mode locomotives, which should be able to run within the Center City Commuter Connection tunnel in Philly under electric power, diesel north of West Trenton, and then electric once more for the final jog from Newark to New York City on the Northeast Corridor.


Edited by KevinKorell, 26 May 2015 - 05:28 PM.
Name train was Wall Street, not Wall Streeter


Kevin Korell


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