Passenger Trains > Feds: NJ doesn't need our OK to resume service

NJ.com reports that NJ Transit can resume service on suspended lines whenever they want.  (Assuming they have locomotives, cars, and crews...)

https://www.nj.com/traffic/2019/02/dont-blame-us-feds-say-nj-transit-can-resume-service-on-suspended-rail-lines-whenever-they-want.html

Isn't it great to hear the truth.

Nice to see them caught at a lie. 

This was Friday night's train cancelation carnage. One involved a 2 hour wait on a 10 degree night from 10pm to midnight:

• NEC train #3965, the 7:49pm from PSNY is cancelled Friday 2/1 due to equipment availability. Customers to train #3883, the 8:07pm from PSNY.

• NEC train #3737, the 9:54pm, from PSNY, is cancelled due to equipment availability. Customers to train #3891, the 10:11pm from PSNY making additional stops.

• MOBO train #6293, the 8:35pm from PSNY, is cancelled Friday, 2/1 due to manpower shortage. Customers to train #6295, the 9:32pm from PSNY.

• M&E train #6677, the 10:13pm from PSNY, is cancelled Friday, 2/1 due to manpower shortage. Customers to train #6683, the 12:02am from PSNY making additional stops.

• M&E train #6671, the 8:51pm from PSNY, is cancelled Friday, 2/1 due to equipment availability. Customers to train #6675, the 9:51pm from PSNY.

• MOBO train #6299, the 11:41pm from PSNY, is cancelled due to manpower shortage. Customers to train #6201, the 12:34am from PSNY.  

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/19 16:00 by joemvcnj.

I am not sure if I have seen NJT this bad (or unreliable) since the Conrail/NJT takeover. It's bad. 

When Super Storm Sandy hit, NJT took advantage of subtracting trains then that never returned, AND adding more padding to the schedules. At first it was needed, but the padding that was fully added, has never fully come off. So that Storm was a nice excuse to change things up. 

PTC has given a potential opportunity to cut down on more service, or completely abandon the AC Line, which is the worst performer (in terms of heavy passenger rail operations). The frequencies that made sense to keep (around commuting times) they axed a few years ago, so it's certainly lost flexibility over the years. Why the Dinky was shutdown for "PTC" is a little weird. But there again, NJT has been trying to CUT the Dinky (Princeton Jct and Back), down, but the ony thing they've been able to achieve is cutting the route length by moving the station farther out from downtown Princeton. As much as the powerful South Jersey legislators want their fair share of services in South Jersey, the AC Line and River Line have sort of been the hallmarks. Additional expansion of light rail or heavy rail was suggested Gloucester and Glassboro (Rte 41, 42, 47 corridors). That may be used as a leverage should any additional north Jersey rail be expanded upon. 

Right now though, NJT can't keep what it has maintained and operating. Around 2012 or so when most of the multilevels had been delivered and were making a difference, I though NJT really had a chance to excel, but the old timer conuctors and engineers kept warning us the system was a ticking time bomb due to upcoming retirements and no new recruits, state of good repair, etc. Great equipment coming forth (diesel and electric locomotive to re-instate the one-seat ride to/from NYP and the Jersey Shore), but full capabilities were being limited by lack of infrastructure state of good repair or expansion in general that had been planned.