Passenger Trains > NY/NJ: Gateway Tunnel reaches first milestone

NorthJersey.com reports that the tunnel boring machines have been placed in the planned alignment and will begin the process of drilling thru the Palisades rock, and are being set up to drill through the silt under the Hudson River. On the NY side, the process of strengthening the ground to allow the TBM to drill is underway.  As of now, the project is said to be on time and on budget.

Lots of detail about the nine phases (phase 1 is in progress now).  The Portal Bridge project is part of the overall program

Paywall possible for folks who have exhausted their free looks:  https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/transportation/2025/04/14/first-phase-of-nj-entrance-to-gateway-rail-tunnel-nearly-finished/83080509007/

I had the joy (?) of driving the full NJ Turnpike (northbound) yesterday and saw all three spans of the new Portal Bridge in place - looking mighty good.  Also saw an Acela passing through Secaucus. In both cases, wished I had been on the rails and not the road. 

The new tracks will be above the freight mains
just west of Tonnelle Ave, same as now?
Wonder how high they have to be. Can
full-height stacks go under the present bridge?

I'm pretty sure the existing freight line under was undercut years ago when stack trains became the norm.  Also I recall a sort of bathtub concrete barrier was built to keep the area from flooding.  You could see it from Route 3.

rkennedy2 Wrote:
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> I'm pretty sure the existing freight line under
> was undercut years ago when stack trains became
> the norm.  Also I recall a sort of bathtub
> concrete barrier was built to keep the area from
> flooding.  You could see it from Route 3.

Correct.  The area was prone to flooding, especially after the tracks were lowered to handle stack trains.

For those keeping score, the tracks are CSX (ex-NYC) and NYS&W (always NYS&W, unless you want to go back to the 1870's when it was the NJ Midland!)