NJ Transit to restore Atlantic City Line & Dinky 5/12/19.

[Seaboard92]

I'll help Transit out. Me and some friends just applied for engine service. Five men from the steam side. Besides it pays 76k after training a year. Not a bad gig.

The Bad News is you have to live in Expensive,Tax Crazy Jersey!
But Good Luck with the Gig!

I need something to do

Are you serious it pays that well! That's better than professional salaries in Chicago - how much does it increase over a hypothetical career and what benny's, like pension, health care, etc?

That's what their website claims. Now how true it is I can't tell you. It qualifies for Railroad Retirement (which is what I really want), and they claim a good benefits package.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Wow! Good luck, and keep us posted on how it goes!

 

[Thirdrail7]

Are you serious it pays that well! That's better than professional salaries in Chicago - how much does it increase over a hypothetical career and what benny's, like pension, health care, etc?

https://www.njtransit.com/var/var_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=JK7To

They also get sick time.

✔ Starting salary of $76,000 (post training) with opportunities for overtime

✔ Railroad retirement, an Employer Contribution 401a Plan plus 457 tax-deferred benefit pension plan

✔ Exceptional medical, dental, vision and prescription coverage

✔ Paid time off

✔ Life insurance

✔ Paid training

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Local newspaper today reported that Gov. Murphy wants the legislature to fast-track a bill to waive the residency requirement for engineers. State Senate president Sweeney agrees with the idea, but says that the legislature already has such a bill in the works.

So they are essentially arguing over who came up with the same idea first. Good grief.

However, it does look like a start, even if it's just for the engineers and not everyone else.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Typical Politicial BS Patty!

As the Late,Great Harry Truman ( a Real Man of the People!)once said:

" A lot can be accomplished when it doesn't matter who gets the Credit!"

 

[me_little_me]

Typical Politicial BS Patty!

As the Late,Great Harry Truman ( a Real Man of the People!)once said:

" A lot can be accomplished when it doesn't matter who gets the Credit!"

I'll bet he wanted credit for saying that.

 

[Thirdrail7]

NJT will be called on their chicanery soon. They won't be able to hide behind the B/S about PTC closing the line.  That's because the work that never managed to shut down other single track rail lines is completed.

Work on Atlantic City Rail is done, but when trains will run remains unclear

http://www2.philly.com/transportation/atlantic-city-rail-train-nj-transit-new-jersey-suspended-20181214.html

The safety system installation that shut down the Atlantic City Rail Line this fall is complete, but transit officials still aren’t saying when trains will begin running again.



“We don’t have a determined date in regards to the [Atlantic City Rail Line] restoration,” said Nancy Snyder, a spokesperson for NJ Transit. “We are going to restore service on the ACRL as quickly as possible.”







The line, which carried fewer than 2,000 riders a day, stopped service on Sept. 5 so NJ Transit could install equipment for Positive Train Control, an automated system that ensures trains travel at safe speeds, on its 60 miles of track. Congress mandated that the system be active on America’s railroads by the end of the year, a deadline most are expected to miss.



All required PTC equipment has been installed on the Atlantic City line, Snyder said. The line also needed 7½ miles of new track. That, too, is complete, Snyder said. The line still must be tested as required by the Federal Railroad Administration, she said.

Yet, there is still no date for restoration of service? What do you mean you'll restore service as quickly as possible? How are you going to do that if you're not making a plan? People are recognizing the B/S:

The news has revived questions about why service was suspended. Most of NJ Transit’s lines have continued running through PTC installation. PTC installation, during which vehicles must be pulled out of service, has required NJ Transit to make do with fewer cars throughout the state, creating scheduling chaos on its busiest routes. The Atlantic City line’s riders represent less than 1 percent of the people NJ Transit serves, and the four locomotives and 16 passenger cars used to run the southern route, along with some staff, were transferred to busier lines in the past months to ease scheduling woes.



The need for vehicles in North Jersey plays “a small part” in determining when the Atlantic City line would reopen, Snyder acknowledged.

If the need for vehicles was a small part, why isn't there a firm timeline for restoration? After all, the "work" is complete.

It is no wonder they let this article fly on a Friday. If this stands, it will show how weak the South Jersey legislature has become.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Check out this spin:

https://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=3263

NEWARK, NJ — Following the completion of end-of-year federally mandated Positive Train Control (PTC) installation, NJ TRANSIT is committed to reopening the Atlantic City Rail Line (ACRL) in early 2019 pending the review and approval of our recent submission to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for the alternate schedule, which extends the deadline for full PTC implementation to December 31, 2020.[SIZE=small] [/SIZE]  In recognition of the continued impact on ACRL customers, NJ TRANSIT will extend the 25 percent discount on tickets and passes through the end of January 2019.

Ummm...why do you need FRA approval to reopen the ACL, particularly if you put a press release stating that you met the FRA criteria for an extension? I could understand it if you stated that you didn't meet the deadline for an extension so it make sense to keep it shut down since it will have to close anyway.

Is it because you're still short engineers up north? Shame shame shame!!

 

[jis]

NJ Transit has become the ultimate BS artist. They are completely shameless.

 

[Anderson]

This is an aside, but with the exception of several sub-sets of jobs where it can reasonably be attached to performing the job, I'm kind-of surprised that in-state residency requirements have been upheld as not being irrational.  Distance requirements are one thing (e.g. requiring someone to live within X miles of their job where an emergency call can be foreseen), but this is another.

As a serious question here, where do the ACL crews base out of?

 

[jis]

Didn't they just remove the in-state requirement recently?

 

[Thirdrail7]

As a serious question here, where do the ACL crews base out of?

They were based out of AC. They even had a small extra list. That's why the place was robbed...and anyone that doesn't realize it at this point has their head in the sand.

Didn't they just remove the in-state requirement recently?

Yes.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Was the in-state requirement removed just for engineers? Or have they extended it for all NJT employees?

 

[jis]

AFAIK all T&E staff.

 

[Thirdrail7]

The travesty continues.

http://www.njbiz.com/article/20190110/NJBIZ01/190119997/assemblymen-mazzeo-and-armato-urge-nj-transit-for-ac-rail-timeline

“Since September, commuters who depend on the Atlantic City Rail Line to get to work, school or home have needed to seek out other often more inconvenient options to get where they need to go,” Mazzeo, D-2nd District, said in a press release. “We know that NJ TRANSIT had to install federally mandated positive train control mechanisms, which we hope will make our transportation system safer and more effective. However, it is still our belief that a full shutdown of the line wasn’t at all necessary, and could have been avoided with better planning from NJ TRANSIT. And with the PTC installation now complete as of December, it was their promise that the Atlantic City line would be open by now.”

Mazzeo and Armato sent a letter to Transit on Jan. 2 requesting an official reopening date be announced.

“A week later, we still haven’t received a formal response,” Armato, D-2nd District, said in a news release. “Now, some officials and press outlets are conveying the reopening may be as late as March. That’s unacceptable for our commuters, who’ve endured crowded daily bus rides and lengthy commutes for months on end. We call on NJ Transit to not only announce a formal reopening date, but hold a true public information meeting in Atlantic County to make sure new operating schedule is properly distributed to riders. Our commuters deserve nothing less than to be informed and assured when their daily lives will return to normal.”

The politicians along this line should withdraw the contribution from their respective counties until service is restored.

 

[jis]

The travesty continues.
http://www.njbiz.com/article/20190110/NJBIZ01/190119997/assemblymen-mazzeo-and-armato-urge-nj-transit-for-ac-rail-timeline

“Since September, commuters who depend on the Atlantic City Rail Line to get to work, school or home have needed to seek out other often more inconvenient options to get where they need to go,” Mazzeo, D-2nd District, said in a press release. “We know that NJ TRANSIT had to install federally mandated positive train control mechanisms, which we hope will make our transportation system safer and more effective. However, it is still our belief that a full shutdown of the line wasn’t at all necessary, and could have been avoided with better planning from NJ TRANSIT. And with the PTC installation now complete as of December, it was their promise that the Atlantic City line would be open by now.”
Mazzeo and Armato sent a letter to Transit on Jan. 2 requesting an official reopening date be announced.
“A week later, we still haven’t received a formal response,” Armato, D-2nd District, said in a news release. “Now, some officials and press outlets are conveying the reopening may be as late as March. That’s unacceptable for our commuters, who’ve endured crowded daily bus rides and lengthy commutes for months on end. We call on NJ Transit to not only announce a formal reopening date, but hold a true public information meeting in Atlantic County to make sure new operating schedule is properly distributed to riders. Our commuters deserve nothing less than to be informed and assured when their daily lives will return to normal.”

The politicians along this line should withdraw the contribution from their respective counties until service is restored.

Unfortunately the NJT budget is not funded by any County. It is a statewide appropriation. South Jersey being more sparsely populated than the north does not really have the political clout to achieve this.

 

[Thirdrail7]

We all knew this PTC story was a falsehood.  Now, after Jan has come and is almost over, NJt announces they will restore service...sometime in spring.

https://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=3271

[SIZE=11pt]NEWARK, NJ[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] — NJ TRANSIT will begin restoring rail service that has been subject to temporary service adjustments in the second quarter of 2019, starting with the Atlantic City Rail Line (ACRL) and the Princeton Branch (Dinky). The agency continues to address a continuing shortage of locomotive engineers, as well as equipment availability, as Positive Train Control (PTC) installations, maintenance inspections and testing continues. NJ TRANSIT will communicate updates as new information becomes available.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Kevin Corbett said the agency is focused on restoring consistent, dependable service.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“We recognize the impact that these service adjustments have had on our valued customers, particularly those who use our ACRL and Princeton Dinky services. Our goal is to begin restoring a service that remains reliable and predictable for customers as quickly as possible,” Corbett said. “I share our customers’ frustration and thank them for their continued patience during this time. While service reliability has improved since January 1, that’s no consolation when it’s your train that is affected.”[/SIZE]

Some politician will now grandstand for the camera:

https://whyy.org/articles/congressman-slams-nj-transit-over-ongoing-atlantic-city-rail-line-closure/

New Jersey Transit announced Friday it plans to resume service on the line that carries approximately 2,000 daily commuters sometime in the second quarter, which begins April 1.

But that announcement is unacceptable to Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a Democrat who represents the southern Jersey Shore.

“The lack of communication and the delay of the ACRL’s restoration line is completely unacceptable, causing extreme frustration for South Jersey commuters and impacting our regional economy,” he said in a statement issued late Friday afternoon.

NJ Transit says causes include an engineer shortage and equipment availability as braking system installations, inspections, and testing continue.

Van Drew said he won’t tolerate “South Jersey getting the short end of the stick.”

“I am immediately going to call New Jersey Transit and find out what the hell is going on and respond accordingly,” the congressman added.

 

[Thirdrail7]

The feds have finally exposed the NJT Lies. Will anyone do anything about it?

https://www.nj.com/traffic/2019/02/dont-blame-us-feds-say-nj-transit-can-resume-service-on-suspended-rail-lines-whenever-they-want.html


Don’t blame us. Feds say NJ Transit can resume service on suspended rail lines whenever they want.

NJ Transit doesn’t need federal approval to resume service on three suspended rail lines that were sidelined for months to install Positive Train Control, Federal Railroad Administration officials said.

“New Jersey Transit does not need approval from FRA to reinstate commuter rail service on the lines where NJT had voluntarily decided to temporarily reduce or suspend service, including the Atlantic City Line,” said Warren Flateau, an FRA spokesman. “NJ Transit may, at any time, resume commuter rail service on those lines.”

The comments come in response to Gov. Phil Murphy and other officials, who said they were waiting for FRA approval as one of several issues to be overcome before service can be restored.

 

[Ryan]

Will anyone do anything about it?

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

The positive that I get out of this is that they say they are going to restore service on the Dinky.

This was, of course, their perfect chance to kill it off for good, but it looks like it is coming back.

Unless, of course, they decide after all that it isn't :unsure: .

 

[jis]

Dinky is a temporary reprieve at best, since they have no plan yet to acquire equipment that will work for the Dinky after the Arrows are retired.

 

[neroden]

The Princeton Township/Borough merger was a setback for the politics of the Dinky, but demographics continue unabated: the political power in Princeton which demands the Dinky is *massive*.  I don't think they'll ever be able to kill it no matter how much they want to.  Maybe eventually they'll convert it to light rail like they should have during the 1990s.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Thank you, neroden.

You said what I tried to in a couple of posts, but much more clearly.

I like the idea of a light rail on that line--is there equipment that might be available and that would work on that line?

 

[jis]

Thank you, neroden.

You said what I tried to in a couple of posts, but much more clearly.

I like the idea of a light rail on that line--is there equipment out there that would fit the tracks?

It's standard gauge track so anything will fit. They will have to change the elctrification to lower voltage, unless they want to blaze new trains and consider Tram-Trains which are gaining ground in other parts of the world. Equipment is available today, off the shelf that will run on mainline standard lectrified lines, and transition over to a street running tram using standard tram infrastructure.

I rode one in Mulhouse in France several years back, and it was quite interesting. In the city you are on a street car, and then in the suburbs you are one a commter train, while sitting in the same seat. That is how you get from the city center in Mulhouse to the French National Rail Museum, though the actual transition from tram on separate right of way to the shared main line train mode happens a little further on from the Museum station.

Of course such a thing will first require the FRA to go through its usual extended conniption about anything different from the mid-20th Century setup.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Thanks, jis.

If anything will fit, and there's equipment already available, I think there's a good chance of saving the Dinky for good (and maybe even making it nicer, when those old NJT cars disappear! ).

I think I am a bit more optimistic about it than you are, but I commute with Dinky riders a lot, and their feeling for it is practically like what you'd feel for a favorite relative--it's pretty much taken on a life of its own, and I don't think they'll let it go away.