NYCTA has moved twenty R-32 Budd-built all-stainless twice overhauled oldest subway equipment operating in North Americ cars via truck to the Rockaways, and as soon as they are set up and the all fixed facilities on the Island 100% they will inaugurate Rockaway Park - Mott Avenue (Far Rockaway) shuttle service.
This will:
1. Make the provision of the bus shuttle from Howard Beach A-train station a simpler proposition with fewer buses giving more frequent service and/or greater capacity.
2. Demonstrate to the Rockaway ressidence their commitment to restore regular service to the main part of Queens and to Manhattan as before Sandy.
NJT is rumored to have said Montclair-Boonton Line service should return early next week. This would give us more choices of schedules. But since next week is Thanksgiving week I will propose to take a RIDWITHMEHENRY trip the week of 11/26....so I've marked my calendar for Wed. 11/28. Itinerary not determined until we see what services and schedules are available. I would like to start the framework around Montclair Boonton to Spring Valley and back via Morristown side starting from as far west as practical and available. Probably leaving Binghamton no later than 6:30AM but no earlier than 5:30 AM. All interested please let me know at ridewithmehenry@hotmail.com or by return mail here. This is not a business but a fun thing...gas shared, everybody pays and buys own tickets from wherever they board.
RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.
NJT has announced that Montclair-Boonton Line service will return Nov 14 with hourly serviced from Montclair to NYP or Hoboken....this includes 3 trains from Hackettstown and one from Mt. Olive (4 trains to Hoboken and back in the evening) with most Montclair originating trains going to NYP. This is even better than what I expected...but still hourly only.
And Long Beach LIRR is back with hourly diesel shuttle trains to Lynbrook until they get the local sutstations fixed, hourly during the rush hours and every two hours in the middle of the day, no service yet on Sat. and Sun. I think this means there is at least some service on all LIRR passenger lines.
Wed. 11-14-12 AM: LIRR is running shuttle diesel service on one track of the Long Beach line Long Beach to Lynbrook but still no service east of Riverhead. MNRR is in full service. Subway: Rt 1 open south to Rector St., Manhatten but R train still out of service from Canal St to Brooklyn...everything else in running shape. NJT put Hackettstown (3 trains) and Mt. Olive (1 train) to Hoboken and Montclair to NYP back in service this morning on modified schedule with some delays, especially from the western most end of the line. But most important is that an Amtrak news release with Amtrak and NJT signatures hypes hope of Kearney power plant to be up and running by Friday. Apparently it is not in as bad a shape as originally thought and tests are proving it capable of being put back in service. But again, note, the announcement came from Amtrak (posted on their news release tag on their website) and while jointly with NJT, NJT has not made the announcement as their ability to communicate with the public is still somehow, somewhat hampered. Even their website seems to be still lagging behind their announcements and operations. At any rate, the return of Kearney substation back to service will mean full power for both catenary and for signal system and points to more and more reliable services. NJT has been rumored to be looking at Bay Head Service (NJCL) of some kind by the weekend.
How is PATH doing?
Still only running Newark-Harrison-Journal Sq.--Grove St---.Pavonia---9th St---14th St---23rd St---33rd St....no Hoboken, no Exchange St., no Downtown NY.
NJT has announced they will offer "regular" weekend timetable schedules for Port Jervis, Pascack Valley, Corridor, Raritan Vally, Morristown, and Montclair-Boonton lines. Earlier they hinted NJCL line service could be back next week but no mention of when Gladstone Line will be back. HBLRT and RiverLine light rail services are normal schedules but Newark Light rail is Penn Sta t Grove St modified and Penn Sta to Broad St. Sta. 30 minute intervals during rush/peak hours only. PATH still operating only Newark Penn to 33rd St. with no stops at Christopher St..
Henry,
The good news for New Jersey is that we now have service on almost all train and light rail lines including PATH. However, I expect it will take a while before service is where it was before Sandy.
You've got PATH services but very truncated...Newark to Journal Sq. to 33rd St....no Hoboken, no World Trade Center....haven't heard how long it will be. And here is what was just posted 7:30PM Fri 11/16 on NJTransit.com:
Trenton, NJ –The Christie Administration announced today that all but one NJ TRANSIT rail lines will be running full or modified service effective Monday, November 19. This includes the restoration of service along the North Jersey Coast Line, which suffered the brunt of the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy. Additionally, with the completion of repairs to a key Amtrak-owned electrical substation in Kearny that will generate additional power to the Northeast Corridor, NJ TRANSIT will be operating approximately 90 percent of its normal peak period service into New York Penn Station starting Monday morning. Main, Bergen County, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis Line trains will resume stopping at Secaucus Junction as a result of the additional rail capacity opened along the Northeast Corridor.
Updated schedules will be posted on njtransit.com by 3 p.m. Sunday, November 18.
“This is a major milestone in our continuing, post-Sandy recovery. The devastation wrought on the North Jersey Coast Line was the worst sustained throughout our system,” said Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman James Simpson. “While we are not out of the woods and the recovery process continues, the restoration of this critical rail service is a major step forward for the Garden State.”
The restoration of service on the North Jersey Coast Line completes the full or partial restoration of all NJ TRANSIT rail lines. More than 30 miles of North Jersey Coast Line track sustained severe damage during the storm, including extensive rail washouts (no ballast under the tracks) between South Amboy and Bay Head. The River Drawbridge over Raritan Bay was severely damaged following a collision between two tugboats in addition to a record storm surge. The Morgan Drawbridge in South Amboy also sustained severe damage following a record storm surge and the impact from recreational boats and a cargo container.
“The restoration of NJ TRANSIT’s rail lines within 18 days of Sandy is a tremendous credit to the commitment, professionalism and the dedication of our employees,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein. “In this time of Thanksgiving, I would like to specifically offer our thanks to our employees for their service, as well as to customers for their patience and understanding during this difficult time.”
Effective Monday, November 19, NJ TRANSIT rail service will operate as follows:
Restored Service
University and New York will operate on a regular schedule. Limited shuttle
service between Hackettstown and Hoboken will operate on a special schedule.
Also effective Monday, November 19, NJ TRANSIT will adjust and refine its emergency trans-Hudson transportation plan to most efficiently match the available bus, rail and ferry resources with the needs of state citizens.
Starting Monday, new bus shuttle-to-ferry service and bus shuttle-to-train service will operate from selected stations along the Gladstone Branch of the Morris & Essex Lines to provide an alternate travel option for customers impacted by the ongoing suspension of Gladstone Branch train service.
In addition, bus shuttle/ferry services from several locations will no longer operate due to the restoration of NJ TRANSIT rail service near those locations.
New Gladstone Branch Bus Shuttle/Ferry Option (to Lower Manhattan)
New Gladstone Branch Bus Shuttle to Train Option (to Midtown Manhattan)
Henry6; Now if we could only get car counts on the service maybe we can get a feel of how many cars damaged ?
Yeah....but who's gonna do it? Not easy when you don't know what is where anymore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiSO-XlODBo&feature=em-uploademail
address above is for Youtube video of two Amtrak loco's hauling 21 NJT BiLevels through Albany Renselear and later whipping through Peekskill enroute to NYP...cars were on order, finished, and final touches put rushed to get them to NJT ahead of schedule. This was supposed to have moved last (Friday, 11/16/12) night. CNN orignially said 65 locomotives and 257 cars, I believe, and now another thread is saying 67 locomotives and 224 cars were damaged (still no description of damage nor extent). But things are progressing....in NJ.
Thanks for the Video, Henry. I read in my Star Ledger that Senators Lautenberg and Menendez have arranged to speed up $25 million in Federal Funds that had been allocated to NJT before the storm. The money will now be used for repairs.
Your post at 7:46PM EDT on 11/16/12 was clipped on the right margin. Browser here is Firefox 16.0.2 running on MacOS 10.8.
- Erik
I think I know what you mean, ERIKEM, but I don't know what can be done...by me...because I don't know what I could do different, I just copied and pasted. I find that I get that too from photo's when I get them in my email but when I enter the site at Trains, they are all there OK. But if nothing else works, you can go to www.njtransit.com and find it there....
Mainstream media now gets into the act - 3 weeks later
http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-jersey-railway-put-trains-sandy-flood-zone-020644706.html
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Thank you BALTACD! This is indeed a long overdue piece from the news media. And it raises a lot of questions. The first one for me is that it says there was an emergecy command center somewhere for NJT...this is something that NJT should have stated which would have given some hope of integrity to NJT and its operation efforts. After that, the piece tries to get explanations from NJT officials, but gets defenseless whitewash instead. I mean the excuse that "information and experience" led them to leave equipment in danger when real maps and forecasters laid out doom predictions of waves and high waters in excess of the zero to 9 foot elevation of the Meadows! One NJT official says there is an investigation underway while the top man denies that by brushing it aside as being a normal review after any problem. This piece, to me anyway, reveals the fears I had about ineptness and internal confusion NJT was having in handling both the pre-storm and the railroad, as well as the storm and the railroad, and the storm and the people NJT serves. If Governor Christie is the man of conviction he says he is, then there will be a very strong hand creating a very needed investigation into NJT's response to the prestorm information, responses during and after the storm, and NJT's inability to communicate its problems and predicaments. Additionally there should be questions about the operations of NJT in relation to equipment choices and operating procedures in general from push pull vs multiple unit trains to BiLevel cars instead of other choices, and coordination of connections at Sec. Jct, Hoboken and both Newark Stations among other things. These were never questions before, but the naive and nonchalant statements by NJT managers as quoted in this article commands such an investigation.
Thank you for the link, Balt.
This is a "what could they have been thinking" story. Anyone who has ridden a train between Newark and New York or between anyplace and Hoboken (and there are many many of us) knows perfectly well that the tracks go through an enormous swap, a wetland area that lies between higher ground and the rivers that open into the Atlantic Ocean. It is obvious that it is in danger of flooding. For many many years it has a history of flooding. And the weather reports said it would flood.
I expect many people are going to call on Jim Weinstein and even Governor Christie to know why the trains were not moved to higher areas. There are plenty of them.
As promised NJT did post new and modified schedules for all lines for Monday, Nov 19th. They are difficult to find, you've got to go on the NJTransit.com website, click on the red banner above or the picture in the middle, then find the line about "Light Rail and Rail click here" in order to find them. They are sparse, too, with a reduced number of trains and connections on all lines without explanation. We can see that these schedules reflect the lack of equipment to do the normal job and not the lack of facilities and crews to run the trains. They still haven't come clean on there predicament with equipment. They have not even acknowledged the 20 some odd cars Bombdier specially sent down to NYP from Plattsburgh, NY via Amtrak. To say I am disappointed in NJT's public communications is an understatement and undermines my faith in the ability of the management. Up to now, I have always given them high marks for both operations and keeping people informed, always given them the benefit of the doubt. But can't say that anymore. I would also believe that there will be more changes before this next week is out and for the following week, too.
All but the Gladstone Line saw service today. NJT claims it is using "normal schedules" but there are some omitted trains, trains being cancelled, and modified schedules. The best two lines seem to be the Corridor and the MNRR Port Jervis line as far as full schedules followed by Dover to NYP, Pascack Valley, and Montclair easts; west of Dover is totally different with fewer trains and changed schedules. This morning (Mon 11/19) saw massive delays and cancellations and combining of trains but so far this evening (5:20PM EST) there are no delay reports or changes being reported. So far. MNRR and LIRR have run as they said they would.
Reuters news service has detailed the damage to NJT equipment as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Most of their damaged equipment was stored in their Meadowlands Yard which is between 0 and 19 feet above sea level. This yard sits in a swampy crook where the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers meet. Extra high tides plus wind blown water resulted in water 5 feed deep in the Meadowlands yard, deep enough to rise to the top of the wheel wells, soak controls, heating and air conditioning equipment and electric motors. About a quarter of NJT's rolling stock was damaged. New York Railroad officials had moved their rolling stock to high ground where it suffered little or no damage. Exceutive Director James Weinstein is reported as saying NJT knew of the weather predictions but was skeptical of them because in their own experience this had never before happened. Other authorities have been critical of NJT officials for dismissing the weather reports. NJT says it has no plans to conduct an inquiry into what when wrong. Repair costs are estimated to be $900 million.
Here is a link to the Reuters report: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/17/us-storm-sandy-newjersey-railway-idUSBRE8AG0K220121117
And other accounts have indicated lots of the damaged cars and locomotives were in Hoboken. We won't know the truth until NJT come around to admitting what happened. And after so much time, it will be questioned even further. This is the foolhardy idea that saying nothing covers up the truth when it really exposes the truth or, worse yet, has speculation that the whole situation is worse and those in charge look worse than that.
John WR Reuters news service has detailed the damage to NJT equipment as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Most of their damaged equipment was stored in their Meadowlands Yard which is between 0 and 19 feet above sea level. This yard sits in a swampy crook where the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers meet. Extra high tides plus wind blown water resulted in water 5 feed deep in the Meadowlands yard, deep enough to rise to the top of the wheel wells, soak controls, heating and air conditioning equipment and electric motors. About a quarter of NJT's rolling stock was damaged. New York Railroad officials had moved their rolling stock to high ground where it suffered little or no damage. Exceutive Director James Weinstein is reported as saying NJT knew of the weather predictions but was skeptical of them because in their own experience this had never before happened. Other authorities have been critical of NJT officials for dismissing the weather reports. NJT says it has no plans to conduct an inquiry into what when wrong. Repair costs are estimated to be $900 million. Here is a link to the Reuters report: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/17/us-storm-sandy-newjersey-railway-idUSBRE8AG0K220121117
Somebody has a lot of explaining to do - but so far, it doesn't sound like anyone of authority is asking the questions.
Nobody in the media is asking anybody at NJT the right questions...just taking the handouts from the Governor's office or reading...as best one can decipher...the web site.
On a totally happier and more savvy note; MTA has trucked 20 cars to Rockaway, got 'em on the rails and will operate four car shuttle trains between 90th Beach and Mott-Far Rockaway. They are designated H shuttles, will run every 15 minutes in four car sets from 4AM to 12:30 AM until the Jamaica Bay bridge and causway is returned to service from Howard Beach Blvd.. And the fare is zip, zero, zilch, nothing. Bus connection continues from Howard Beach Blvd to Mott Ave. KUDOS to MTA for working for the people of NYCity.
All the York agencies--Metroploitan Transit Authority, Long Island Rail Road and Metro North--offer much happier notes than New Jersey Transit does, Henry.
But I thought some stuff in the Reuters report was pretty hard hitting.
Wednesday, November 21. In today's Star-Ledger NJT Executive Director James Weinstein shares with us NJT management's analysis of hurricane Sandy's predictions that led the agency to leave 261 cars and 62 locomotives in low lying areas. (NJT's Kearney yard is 10 feet above sea level and the storm surge was predicted to reach 15 feet. In fact it was a little higher than the prediction). There are already a number of comments about the decision. I will leave it to readers to draw their own conclusion. Here is the link: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/flooded_nj_transit_trains_defe.html#incart_m-rpt-1
Just checked the story and left a comment, too, at the Star Ledger. I am totally dismayed that these guys bungled this disaster so badly. In the light of history, in the light of forecasts and predictions, in the light of what other similar agencies were doing, in the light of responsibility to the agency and its people and equipment, to the state, to their jobs, to the public, their actions and responses are totally indefensible. If I were a resident of NJ or a commuter and more than a 12 times a year rider of NJT, I would be calling for a total housecleaning of these managers. In the comments posted with the Star Ledger article, I do not see one post supporting them or even giving them the benefit of the doubt. And I doubt there will be any.
Have activated the article ------
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/flooded_nj_transit_trains_defe.html
Henry is very correct. Here is a quick summary of what it would have taken to protect the equipment.
260 cars at 85 ft each = 22,100 ft of RR needed to store the cars. 60 RR locomotives at 80 ft each = 4800 ft. total length required is 26,900 ft needed to store equipment . that equals to just over 5 miles of storage that should have been spread out over several lines so no one line failure would have stranded all equipment. a comment about tree damage -- Salt water damage is much more invasive and almost always requires complete replacement due to ongoing salt water corrosion. Don't fire the managers yet but require an undated letters of resignation for each position that will be used once each position is filled with a competent person.
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