Amtrak and NBK Station

[Josh M]

A coworker and her family are going to be staying in New York the weekend before Thanksgiving this year, and on the Saturday 11/23 they have to go out to Piscataway, NJ, for the Michigan State-Rutgers football game (her son plays for MSU).

It looks like the best way to get there from NYC is to take a train from Penn Station, then Uber/Lyft to the stadium. However, when I tried to help her look up trains, there is nothing on either Amtrak or NJ Transit to the closest station in New Brunswick, NJ (NBK) on Saturdays (or, based on my own further research, most other days). Everything else, like Google, says that NBK is served by both Amtrak's Northeast Regional trains and NJ Transit. Any idea(s) why nothing shows up for that station on Amtrak's website, except (from what I can see) for the Palmetto on certain days of the week? Any help is appreciated.

 

[OBS]

It appears that schedules have not been published yet. There is frequent service there generally, on NJT. Website also says some bussing may be occurring then due to trackwork...

 

[Maverickstation]

A coworker and her family are going to be staying in New York the weekend before Thanksgiving this year, and on the Saturday 11/23 they have to go out to Piscataway, NJ, for the Michigan State-Rutgers football game (her son plays for MSU).

It looks like the best way to get there from NYC is to take a train from Penn Station, then Uber/Lyft to the stadium. However, when I tried to help her look up trains, there is nothing on either Amtrak or NJ Transit to the closest station in New Brunswick, NJ (NBK) on Saturdays (or, based on my own further research, most other days). Everything else, like Google, says that NBK is served by both Amtrak's Northeast Regional trains and NJ Transit. Any idea(s) why nothing shows up for that station on Amtrak's website, except (from what I can see) for the Palmetto on certain days of the week? Any help is appreciated.

New Brunswick, NJ has only limited Amtrak service, most of their corridor trains do not stop there. The station does have frequent NJT service.

Ken

 

[Thirdrail7]

Amtrak's Thanksgiving schedules generally appear a few weeks prior to implementation of their special schedule, so it won't be posted for a while.

In general, I do not recall any time period where Amtrak served NBK on a weekend.

NJ Transit will have hourly service between NYP-NBK at the very least. They don't deviate from the weekend schedule that is currently in effect.

 

[Josh M]

Thank you everyone for your help. My coworker and her husband didn't want to have to worry about renting a car, but they also didn't want a $200 taxi or Uber ride. This will be a big help, and I will let her know so they can plan accordingly.

 

[Acela150]

Amtrak's Thanksgiving schedules generally appear a few weeks prior to implementation of their special schedule, so it won't be posted for a while.

I follow your point. But Saturday the 23rd is the Saturday before turkey day and the schedule is not in effect at that point in time. Turkey day is really late this year.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Well, then my statement regarding Amtrak service to NBK on weekends would stand.

 

[AFS1970]

The school may also run some sort of shuttle between the campus (near the train station) and the stadium. Not sure if they do or not. Apart from that there are usually taxi's at the station and they are not that expensive.

 

[Thirdrail7]

It looks like the best way to get there from NYC is to take a train from Penn Station, then Uber/Lyft to the stadium. However, when I tried to help her look up trains, there is nothing on either Amtrak or NJ Transit to the closest station in New Brunswick, NJ (NBK) on Saturdays (or, based on my own further research, most other days). Everything else, like Google, says that NBK is served by both Amtrak's Northeast Regional trains and NJ Transit. Any idea(s) why nothing shows up for that station on Amtrak's website, except (from what I can see) for the Palmetto on certain days of the week? Any help is appreciated.

Amtrak's Thanksgiving schedules generally appear a few weeks prior to implementation of their special schedule, so it won't be posted for a while.

In general, I do not recall any time period where Amtrak served NBK on a weekend.

NJ Transit will have hourly service between NYP-NBK at the very least. They don't deviate from the weekend schedule that is currently in effect.

It looks like we spoke too soon. Although it doesn't do you a ton of good, NBK has picked up some additional service on weekdays and weekends.

Train 89 stops at NBK and PJC on a daily basis for early service west/south. Train 171 now stops at NBK and PJC for midday service west/south and train 177 stops at NBK and PJC for late night service west/south M-F. On weekends, train 165 stops at both stations heading west/south.

Train 160 will now stop at PJC and NBK on weekends and train 84 will stop at NBK on weekdays.

It'll probably be a dispatching nightmare but at least it gives NBK some of their requested options.

 

[Acela150]

It looks like we spoke too soon. Although it doesn't do you a ton of good, NBK has picked up some additional service on weekdays and weekends.

Train 89 stops at NBK and PJC on a daily basis for early service west/south. Train 171 now stops at NBK and PJC for midday service west/south and train 177 stops at NBK and PJC for late night service west/south M-F. On weekends, train 165 stops at both stations heading west/south.

Train 160 will now stop at PJC and NBK on weekends and train 84 will stop at NBK on weekdays.

It'll probably be a dispatching nightmare but at least it gives NBK some of their requested options.

I some what agree with the dispatching end of things. Trains running on Track 1 will sometimes crossover to Track 2 at ADAMS which is good for 80mph. COUNTY is out as an option to crossover as that is right before NBK. I believe that EDISON is only from 2 to 1. That leaves the next interlocking available to use as LINCOLN which is just west of Metropark. Which unless their is a Transit train that is ahead of you doesn't make much sense to cross a train over just to cross it over again at MENLO, so trains will probably be sent back over to Track 2 at ISELIN.

I'm curious to see how that works out for CTEC 8.