NJT/Articles on Lackawanna Cutoff route Options

[KevinKorell]

From Scranton, PA Times-Tribune, 5/2/06:

Officials: Passenger train around bend

Its development feels like the slowest passenger train in the world, so slow it’s still rolling around on a drawing board after more than a decade of planning.

But the proposed Scranton-to-Hoboken, N.J., passenger railroad will roll a rail ahead later this month when a key planning study is submitted for federal approval, New Jersey Transit Penny Bassett Hackett said Monday.

The rest of this story is here.

[KevinKorell]

From Pocono Record, 5/2/06:

Officials: $350M rail plan nearly set

SCRANTON --The new inter-county entity that will guide the Lackawanna Cutoff passenger rail project could be in place by the end of June, according to government officials.

Here's this one.

[Sloan]

Seven years before start-up?!!!!! Give me a break! They could start the service incrementally with a bus bridge from Analomick to Netcong. There will be a strong demand from New Yorkers who own homes in the Poconos and, later, gamblers once casinos get up and running.


Sloan

[Sloan]

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news....15898&rfi=6

[KevinKorell]

From the somewhere-in-New-Jersey Daily Record, 5/29/08:

New rail link planned from Roxbury to Andover

The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority is planning to take a step next week toward redeveloping a 7.3-mile stretch of the Lackawanna Cutoff and, ultimately, extend NJ Transit rail service to a new station in Andover.

Story is here.

[CNJRoss]

The Citizen's Voice, Wilkes Barre, PA, 6/8:

Preliminary planning of railroad is under way
The proposed passenger railroad between Scranton and Hoboken, N.J., is finally moving down the tracks toward some construction.

Just not here and not exactly soon.

New Jersey Transit, which would operate the train, is planning to build a 7.3-mile, $36.6 million slice of the 88-mile, $551 million project in New Jersey, officials said.

The 7.3-mile section would run from the end of New Jersey Transit’s tracks in Port Morris to Andover, which is still about 80 miles by rail from Scranton.

“It’s significant that after all these years of talking about it, we’re starting construction,” said Larry Malski, chief operating officer of the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority, which is guiding the Pennsylvania end.

Continue.

[Sloan]

http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2008/06...nger/news/6.txt

[Sloan]

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/.../NEWS/806190322

[Sloan]

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5-6-20

[CNJRoss]

From the NJT Lackawanna Cutoff Project page:

Current Status

NJ TRANSIT's Board of Directors authorized consultant work for conceptual design, completion of the environmental assessment (EA) and preparation of the documentation required by the Federal Transit Administration for new transit lines. The State of New Jersey completed the purchase of the Lackawanna Cutoff property in May 2001. The EA report is available for viewing by clicking here. Public meetings will be held to provide information on the content of the EA. Those meetings will be held from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM as follows:

Thursday, July 10, 2008: Perona Farms
350 Andover-Sparta Road, Andover, New Jersey (973)729-6161

Tuesday, July 15, 2008: Quality Inn
1220 W. Main Street, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania (570)420-1000