Passenger Trains > NJT summer of fun for M&E riders

http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/columnists/john-cichowski/2017/06/20/road-warrior-summer-hell-morris-essex-riders/404431001/

Posted from Android

Yes, these articles make like the sky is falling and its almost the end of the world.... These people can't suck it up for two months and go to Hoboken or even drive to Montclair or Rahway?? How about taking Uber or the bus...
Everything back to normal on September 2nd.

The summer tends to have much lighter traffic on the rails, in my experience. People take longer weekends, have Fridays off, etc. Prob won't be much fun for North Jersey Coast riders, either.

The number of dewy eyed college interns etc doesn't offset the noticeable drop.

Those who can afford it will drive to (Atlantic) Highlands or Belford and take the ferry up to Manhattan. For three days a week it's competitive with a monthly train ticket, faster, and a lot nicer.

Unlike LIRR commuters, I find NJT ones know only one way to go.


20 years of Midtown Direct and 70% of M&E passengers go to NYPS, when dropped in Hoboken, they behave as though it is Peking Central.

Posted from Android

joemvcnj Wrote:
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>(snip) when dropped in Hoboken,
> they behave as though it is Peking Central.
>

Order the chicken!

Seriously, that's a Jersey thing. Happens on the Parkway too. People will spend hours in a huge traffic jam rather than get off and get onto a parallel road. No thought of alternatives.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> Those who can afford it will drive to (Atlantic)
> Highlands or Belford and take the ferry up to
> Manhattan. For three days a week it's competitive
> with a monthly train ticket, faster, and a lot
> nicer.

Are the NJCL schedules majorly affected? Customers from what other route would bother to negotiate the traffic to get to Atlantic Highlands or Belford to catch a ferry?

No AFAIK, NJCL and NE Corridor trains from Trenton to NY are NOT affected.. Might be 15-30 min delays though.

Posted from Android

Njt4172 Wrote:
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> No AFAIK, NJCL and NE Corridor trains from Trenton
> to NY are NOT affected.. Might be 15-30 min delays
> though.
>
> Posted from Android

30 minute delay on top of an already slowed service doesn't fill me with confidence.

Take the ferry if you can.

Without all of the Midtown Direct trains, without 20% of the LIRR trains, and without most of the Keystones and several Regional trains, I believe the theory is that the on time performance will improve on the remaining trains. They're saying that the goal for these 2 months is to eliminate the delays that are occurring each day by reducing frequencies, while also allowing the track department to replace switches and other track work.