New North Brunswick NJT station on the NEC

[jis]

NJT has just published a conceptual design of the long time proposed North Brunswick Station on the NEC:

https://www.nj.com/news/2023/02/com...orridors-newest-nj-transit-train-station.html
It also includes the $300+ Million Midline Loop Project to allow trains to turn at North Brunswick without interfering with the main flow of traffic on the NEC. North Brunswick will become the terminating point for the Mid Zone NJT Service on the NEC, the ones that sort of terminate at Jersey Avenue/New Brunswick now.

 

[Touchdowntom9]

Wait, with a single platform to the North side of the NEC, the trains heading to NYC from Trenton would have to cross the entire 4 train NEC to stop at the platform...so how on earth will that be able to happen without causing a huge traffic jam? What am I missing here because I cant imagine Amtrak would ever allow this.

 

[jis]

Wait, with a single platform to the North side of the NEC, the trains heading to NYC from Trenton would have to cross the entire 4 train NEC to stop at the platform...so how on earth will that be able to happen without causing a huge traffic jam? What am I missing here because I cant imagine Amtrak would ever allow this.

The full North Brunswick plan has platforms on both tracks 1 and 4. Amtrak is a party to the writing of the plan. There are no plans for crossovers at North Brunswick to facilitate crossing over from track 1 to track 4 or vice versa. Only crossovers in the vicinity are Delco from 3 to 4 westwards and Adams 2 to 1 eastwards.

 

[Touchdowntom9]

The full North Brunswick plan has platforms on both tracks 1 and 4. Amtrak is a party to the writing of the plan. There are no plans for crossovers at North Brunswick to facilitate crossing over from track 1 to track 4 or vice versa. Only crossovers in the vicinity are Delco from 3 to 4 westwards and Adams 2 to 1 eastwards.

Ok, but it seems like only one platform is funded for construction right now--will it be a one way trip for those passengers? What would the plan be for serving east bound passengers prior to the other platform being constructed?

 

[jis]

Ok, but it seems like only one platform is funded for construction right now--will it be a one way trip for those passengers? What would the plan be for serving east bound passengers prior to the other platform being constructed?

This particular station will be a single platform not on any of the NEC tracks, but on a parallel industrial lead converted to passenger service. Only those trains that terminate now at Jersey Avenue would be extended to originate and terminate here. The crossing over to go eastbound will happen at County Interlocking as it happens now for Jersey Avenue terminating /originating trains - that is, until the Midline Loop is built.

This lead track will eventually in full build become part of the connection to the Midline Loop which will connect to a track parallel to the NEC on the Adams Yard side and a platform will be built on that track with a pedestrian underpass connecting the two platforms at North Brunswick. The original plan had only the Mid-Zone trains accessing North Brunswick station. An alternative to build additional platforms on tracks 1 and 4 at North Brunswick may also be considered enabling Outer5-zone trains to access this station too, but it is not considered to be critical. A platform will be built at Jersey Ave on the eastbound track to provide more complete access to that station for Outer-zone trains.