# NJT NEC Midline Loop Work begins



## jis (Sep 7, 2013)

This from the NJT 12th September Board Meeting Agenda suggests that work is beginning in right earnest on the NJT NEC Midline Loop at Adams and the North Brunswick Station at the old Johnson and Johnson site just west of Jersey Avenue.



> *1309-41: NORTHEAST CORRIDOR MID-LINE LOOP PROJECT: CONTRACT AWARD FOR DESIGN, ENGINEERING, AND OTHER TECHNICAL SERVICES*
> 
> The Mid-Line Loop Project Study investigated feasible options to improve NJ TRANSIT commuter rail service within the middle zone of the Northeast Corridor (NEC). Specifically, the Study evaluated options to eliminate the at-grade crossing conflict that exists on the Northeast Corridor in the vicinity of Mile Post (MP) 32 at the Jersey Avenue Station/County Yard facility. Currently, NJ TRANSIT trains traveling eastbound toward New York from the Jersey Avenue Station and/or County Yard must cross Northeast Corridor Tracks 4, 3 and 2 at-grade to access eastbound Track 1. A grade-separated Mid-Line Loop track would allow trains from the eastbound track at Jersey Avenue (and the associated County Yard) to reach the inbound side of the Northeast Corridor (towards Newark/New York) without interfering with train movements on express tracks in either direction. Elimination of this at-grade conflict would facilitate increased rail service along the Northeast Corridor and allow for future Amtrak track expansion/upgrades along the Northeast Corridor. The “at-grade” crossing currently limits the number of trains that NJ TRANSIT would be able to operate to meet the future ridership growth on the Northeast Corridor (horizon year of 2030).
> 
> ...


When completed, this together with the High Speed upgrade between New Brunswick and Trenton/Morrisville, including substantial replacement of old interlockings and switches and a new signaling system, will transform the operations on the NEC in New Jersey. The track upgrade will allow 160mph operation on tracks 2 and 3 (up from 135mph), and 125mph operation on tracks 1 and 4 (up from 110mph). NJT plans to upgrade its outer zone express trains to operate at upto 125mph from the current 100mph.


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## PRR 60 (Sep 7, 2013)

Sounds like the bid is engineering services. Actual moving dirt work seems somewhat further down the road.

My guess is that they want to coordinate the loop design with the Amtrak ET design, and then sequence the installation in order to avoid a temporary catenary rearrangement.


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## jis (Sep 7, 2013)

You are correct. Amtrak will install the necessary switches as part of the HS upgrade.


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## Andrew (Sep 7, 2013)

1. Will the trains that stop at Adams (the new station) be double-decker EMU trains? If so, is it likely for some of them to be 12 cars long?

2. How does the new Mid-line Loop Infrastructure tie in with the Gateway Project?


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## jis (Sep 7, 2013)

1. The new station will not be Adams. It will be North Brunswick. Have not seen any operating plans and as far as double decker EMU goes first someone has to order some before we can talk about whether they will be used and how many cars etc.

2. No connection with Gateway Project.


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## Andrew (Sep 7, 2013)

1. How will the new station (and loop) be funded?

2. Can NJ use some of it's TTF money to fund the Gateway Project in the future?


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## Raj (Sep 25, 2013)

I am a commuter on this line. Do we know that this project is fully approved? What is the timeline we are looking at ?


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## jis (Sep 25, 2013)

It is part of NJT's Capital Plan. It is not fully funded yet. It will be funded as part of NJT's annual Capital Programs. The timeline is at least 4 to 5 years before it is done. It is closely linked with the construction of the proposed North Brunswick Station as part of the development at the old Johnson and Johnson site.

The urgency to get the design done at present is so that the Amtrak high Speed project can install the necessary additional interlockings, and the High Speed Project must be completed by 2017.


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## Andrew (Nov 9, 2013)

So there will not be a new yard south Jersey Avenue?


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## jis (Nov 9, 2013)

No


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## Andrew (Nov 9, 2013)

So then trains that use the loop will simply continue back up North to Penn Station?


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## jis (Nov 9, 2013)

Of course, that is what the loop is for. BTW, there is already a yard a Jersey Avenue capable of storing 6 or 7 trains. The loop will remove the need for them to cross the entire interlcoking plant at County to head towards New York (as they do now). They will just go around the loop to head towards New York.


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