Passenger Trains > NJ: Portal Bridge rebuild clears a major hurdle

NJ Transit's board approved the deal, Amtrak previously approved the deal.  FTA approved the priority level.

NJ.com has the details

Something in the article confused me - there was a quote saying that the replacement will not increase capacity.  Isn't the plan to replace it with a four-track bridge?  Some Gateway plans I saw had eventually six tracks going over the river - four new ones with greater clearance over the water, and a replacement for the current two-track swing bridge.

Anyone know what the current plan is?

There are plans for two 2-track spans. 

Blathering about MLV cars increasing capacity instead is a distraction from the quoted fired LIRR manager, who is opposed to just about everything Gateway-related, and unwelcome at any NJT, MTA, or Port Authority hearing due to incompetence and attitude. 

rbenko Wrote:
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> Something in the article confused me - there was a quote saying that the replacement will not increase capacity.  Isn't the plan to replace it with a four-track bridge?  Some Gateway plans I saw had eventually six tracks going over the river - four new ones with greater clearance over the water, and a replacement for the current two-track swing bridge.
>
> Anyone know what the current plan is?

The current approval is for a 2 track bridge to directly replace the over a century old Portal bridge. 

The additional bridges are part of the separate Gateway Project proposals which have unfortunately sunk into the morass that is USA politics these days.

Brian

choodude Wrote:
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> The current approval is for a 2 track bridge to
> directly replace the over a century old Portal
> bridge. 

Seems like a missed opportunity - so basically there's little to no chance of increasing capacity over the river before 2030 at the earliest - <sigh>

Yes, I realize that there is still the two-track North River tunnel bottleneck - however, even with nothing else being built, having four tracks over the Hackensack would mean that Penn Station bound Midtown-Direct trains coming onto the NEC at Swift would not have to compete with NEC trains to get into Secaucus Transfer, and eastbound M-D trains could get 'out of the way' of NEC trains at Secaucus.