The Lackawanna Old Road was part of the original mainline of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad (DL&W). Opened in 1856, it was, for a half-century, a part of the line connecting the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
100-537: In 1911, the DL&;W cut 11 miles (18 km) off the route by opening the Lackawanna Cut-Off , which branched off from existing track at the new Port Morris Junction and Slateford Junction . The 39.6-mile (63.7 km) stretch of existing track between these junctions was relegated to secondary status and became known as the "Old Road". The Old Road involves one railroad tycoon ( John I. Blair ) and four railroads:
200-511: A constant threat west of the tunnel, in Colby Cut. In recognition of this, a detector fence was installed west of Roseville Tunnel in 1950 to change trackside signals to red if rocks fell. The most serious rockslide to ever occur on the line, however, would take place within Armstrong Cut (just west of Johnsonburg) in 1941, closing the line for nearly a month, and causing trains to be rerouted via
300-588: A contract with Metro-North Railroad . The New Jersey Transit Police Department (NJTPD) is the transit police agency of NJ Transit. New Jersey Transit Police operates under the authority of Chapter 27 of the NJ Revised Statutes. Title 27:25-15.1 states in part "The Transit Police Officers so appointed shall have general authority, without limitation, to exercise police powers and duties, as provided by law for police officers and law enforcement officers, in all criminal and traffic matters at all times throughout
400-565: A distance of 7.3 miles (11.7 km), began. The project was delayed by a lack of environmental permits to clear the roadbed between Lake Lackawanna and Andover. Based on projections from NJ Transit, the restart of construction, including extensive work on Roseville Tunnel , was to occur in mid- to late-2016, with the re-opening of service to Andover projected to occur in 2020. The proposed rehabilitation west of Andover, which has not yet been funded, would provide commuter rail service between Hoboken Terminal and New York's Penn Station, and would serve
500-789: A new rail junction at Secaucus, allowing for a one-train ride between the Port Jervis , Main , Bergen County , Pascack Valley, and Raritan Valley lines and New York Penn Station. The Lehigh and the West Trenton extension plans would require added capacity and the ARC project would provide that capacity. The project broke ground in June 2009. Both the Federal Transit Administration and the Port Authority made public commitments of $ 3 billion to
600-466: A new, higher lift bridge . The West Trenton Line is a proposed service connecting West Trenton Station with Newark Penn Station , connecting with the Raritan Valley Line at Bridgewater . As of 2004, NJT's estimate of the cost was $ 197 million. To date, no funding has been secured. Service ran on the line prior to 1983. The West Shore Route is a proposal to reactivate passenger service on
700-514: A passenger train carrying German-American tourists from Chicago to Hoboken was slated to run over the Cut-Off, but in order to avoid freight trains on the line the special train was diverted onto the Old Road to Port Morris . At Rockport, New Jersey , the train struck debris washed onto a road crossing by a heavy thunderstorm. The train derailed, and killed 47 passengers and three trainmen. In 1995, on
800-594: A pioneering use of the material. The construction of the roadbed required the movement of millions of tons of fill material using techniques similar to those used on the Panama Canal . Operated through a subsidiary , Lackawanna Railroad of New Jersey, the Cut-Off remained in continual operation for 68 years, through the DL&W's 1960 merger with the Erie Railroad to form the Erie Lackawanna Railroad and
900-436: A proposal for three daily round-trips to Scranton to begin as soon as 2028. NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation , branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT , is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania . It operates buses , light rail , and commuter rail services throughout
1000-562: A slow and arduous climb over Van Nest Gap. The new tunnel, however, did not prevent the collapse of the planned DL&W-CNJ merger. The M&E quickly emerged as the logical replacement for the CNJ, as it would give the DL&W direct access to the Hudson River . But this time, there would be no bespoke connecting line between the merger partners. Instead, the DL&W forged a circuitous route out of existing lines, including 20 miles (32 km) of
1100-475: A time of historic infrastructure investment?" and Andover Mayor Tom Walsh is quoted as saying the decision was; "a kick in the teeth to the people who did all the work". Amtrak has placed the New York City-to-Scranton rail line on its proposed 2035 map. A federal study has examined the feasibility of an extension into northeastern Pennsylvania , possibly as far as Scranton , and Amtrak has released
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#17328591396841200-458: Is known to have died of typhoid fever . The Cut-Off's reinforced concrete structures (73 in all), which consumed 266,885 cubic yards (204,048 m ) of concrete and 735 tons of steel, include underpasses , culverts , and the two large viaducts on the western end of the line. Some five million pounds (2,300 t) of dynamite were used to blast the cuts on the line. A total of 14,621,100 cubic yards (11,178,600 m ) of fill material
1300-608: The COVID-19 pandemic . An environmental assessment was published in February 2021, and it is now in the design and engineering phase. The project is projected to be operational by 2028. Bus rapid transit in New Jersey includes limited stop bus lines, exclusive bus lanes (XBL) and bus bypass shoulders (BBS). Next Generation Bus is the term used by NJT to refer to the development of numerous bus rapid transit (BRT) systems across
1400-597: The Erie Lackawanna last provided with the Lake Cities in 1970. At the time of the Cut-Off's construction, the DL&;W had extensive experience with concrete construction, but not on the scale that would be employed on the Cut-Off. All structures, including stations, bridges, interlocking towers and two large viaducts and thousands of fence posts, were made of concrete. Despite the lack of maintenance on these structures over
1500-520: The Federal Transit Administration has issued a Finding of No Significance Impact ( FONSI ). Preliminary engineering began in 2018. The new station will be a contributing factor to the $ 180 million urban renewal project of Bayfront . There is also a project to improve Route 440 itself near the rail extension. As of 2020, the project is still ongoing after upgrades were made to West Side Avenue Station In May 2001, New Jersey acquired
1600-609: The Henry Hudson Rail Trail ). NJT is still planning to study all the routes as to not delay action further on the EIS, and says all three routes are still up for evaluation, although it will take the Governor's comments into consideration. In late May 2009 representatives of the three counties agreed to back one potential route from Ocean County to Red Bank, instead of to Monmouth Junction, ending years of stalemate. Under that compromise,
1700-591: The Hudson–Bergen Light Rail in North Bergen . The project is currently in its initial study phase. The Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) line is a proposed south and central New Jersey commuter rail route to New Brunswick , Newark and New York's Penn Station. This would restore service previously provided by the Central Railroad of New Jersey with similar station sequences. Prior to 1941 cancellation
1800-501: The Lackawanna Cut-Off . With the opening of the Cut-Off in 1911, the line became known as the Old Road, relegated to a branch line for local freight shipments. It still saw the occasional through train when Cut-Off traffic was heavy and served as the main line in 1941 when a rockslide closed the Cut-Off. The effects of Hurricane Diane caused record flooding along the Delaware River and forced DL&W to reroute trains over part
1900-587: The Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Central Railroad of New Jersey . These cities were last served in 1967. NJT intended to construct a new two-track Hudson River tunnel adjacent to the two single-track Northeast Corridor tunnels built in the early 20th century by the Pennsylvania Railroad . NJT referred to the project as Access to the Region's Core , which would have used dual-power locomotives and
2000-485: The Northeast Corridor through a series of phases. It will create new capacity that will allow the doubling of passenger trains running under the Hudson River . The program will increase track, tunnel, bridge, and station capacity, eventually creating four mainline tracks between Newark, NJ, and Penn Station , New York, including a new, two-track Hudson River tunnel. It is being undertaken in partnership with Amtrak,
2100-685: The Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority . Subsequent federal studies conducted on the Cut-Off and the mainline into Pennsylvania found a need to restore passenger service. In 2011, after a nearly three-decade effort to reactivate the line, NJ Transit launched the $ 61 million Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project. The first phase will link Port Morris Junction to Andover, New Jersey ( Andover station ), 7.3 miles (11.7 km) away. By December 2011, about 1 mile (1.6 km) of track had been installed from Port Morris Junction west to Stanhope, New Jersey . Work
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#17328591396842200-662: The Phillipsburg Branch (Port Morris to Washington, New Jersey); 14 miles (23 km) of the Warren Railroad (Washington to Delaware, New Jersey); and 5 miles (8 km) of the Bangor & Portland Railroad (Delaware, to Slateford, Pennsylvania). The speed limits on the sections varied: 70 mph (110 km/h) on the Phillipsburg Branch; and 50 mph (80 km/h) on the Warren Railroad and B&P. Oxford Tunnel
2300-605: The Trenton Line ; and a handful of tourist trains in the southern and northwestern parts of New Jersey. Since inception, rail ridership has quadrupled. In the 1990s the rail system expanded, with new Midtown Direct service to New York City and new equipment. On October 21, 2001, it opened a new station at Newark Liberty International Airport . On December 15, 2003, it opened the Secaucus Junction transfer station, connecting its two commuter networks in northern New Jersey for
2400-463: The " Old Road " after the New Jersey Cut-Off opened) had numerous curves that restricted trains to 50 mph (80 km/h). The bigger operational problem, however, was caused by the two tunnels on the line: Manunka Chunk Tunnel, a 975-foot (297 m) twin-bore tunnel whose eastern approach occasionally flooded with heavy rains; and the 2,969-foot (905 m) single-bore Oxford Tunnel, which
2500-541: The 28.45-mile (46 km) line evenly, the seven sections should have been just over four miles each, but that would have placed the Pequest Fill entirely within Section 3 and the two viaducts within Section 7.) The amount of work per mile varied; the largest share apparently went to David W. Flickwir, whose Section 3 included Roseville Tunnel and the eastern half of the Pequest Fill. DL&W chief engineer George G. Ray oversaw
2600-639: The 70th anniversary of the wreck, a stone and plaque was erected at the Rockport crossing to remember the lives lost. In April 1970, the Erie Lackawanna Railway (EL) abandoned the Delaware-Washington, New Jersey section. Conrail assumed EL operations in 1976. In 1982, NJ Transit assumed operation of the trackage between Port Morris Junction and Netcong for commuter service. Port Morris Junction ceased to exist in 1984 when Conrail abandoned
2700-507: The CNJ abandoned operations in Pennsylvania, causing through freights to be run daily between Elizabeth, New Jersey , and Scranton, using the Cut-Off and the CNJ's High Bridge Branch . (This arrangement with the CNJ would end on April 1, 1976, with the creation of Conrail ). As such, when Penn Central closed its Maybrook, New York Yard in 1970, and its ex-New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Poughkeepsie Bridge burned on May 8, 1974,
2800-607: The CNJ operated Blue Comet trains (Jersey City-Atlantic City) and some local trains on this route. The line was originally proposed by the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders in March 1980. It would run on a 40.1-mile rail corridor and would provide diesel commuter rail service from Monmouth Junction ( South Brunswick ), where the Jamesburg Branch partially joins the Northeast Corridor (NEC), south to Lakehurst in
2900-466: The Cut-Off in 1958 in anticipation of the Erie merger. The westbound track was removed, leaving a four-mile (6.4 km) passing siding at Greendell and shorter sidings at Port Morris and Slateford. After the merger, most freight traffic shifted to the Erie's mainline through Port Jervis, New York . With the cessation of passenger service in 1970, the Cut-Off became relatively quiet for several years. In 1972,
3000-415: The Cut-Off required fewer engines to pull eastbound freights up to the summit at Port Morris. For westbound freights, the challenge was keeping trains from going too fast. Initially, no speed limit existed on the Cut-Off, with engineers (both freight and passenger) being expected to exercise "good judgment". By the 1920s, however, most freights were restricted to 50 mph (80 km/h) or less, depending on
3100-504: The Cut-Off was completed. These workers were viewed with suspicion by the local populace in Warren and Sussex counties, with the town of Blairstown going as far as hiring a watchman at $ 40 per month for the duration of the project. Supervisory personnel and skilled laborers stayed in local hotels, boarding houses, or local farmhouses, usually at exorbitant rates ($ 1–2 per day) during the years of construction. With several thousand men working on
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3200-403: The Cut-Off, making its last run on January 6, 1970. The only station on the Cut-Off at which mainline passenger trains would stop was Blairstown. Blairstown was also the first stop on westbound trains where passengers were permitted to disembark (i.e. westbound passengers boarding and detraining east of Blairstown were required to use suburban train service instead). This explains why Blairstown
3300-598: The Cut-Off. Warren County removed remaining bridges and abutments over the next several years. Now that the Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project is underway, Port Morris Junction is the connection point of the "Old Road" and the "Cut-Off" once again since 2011. Some vestiges of the Warren Railroad remain: telegraph poles, tunnels, and a concrete viaduct spanning the Pequest River and the abandoned Lehigh and Hudson River Railway right-of-way near
3400-453: The Cut-Off. Over the years, Blairstown handled the most local freight. The Johnsonburg creamery, built in anticipation of the opening of the line, served local dairy farmers for years. Another creamery, an ice house , and a stock yard were built at Greendell. The final local shipment was shipped in 1978 by Conrail: cattle feed for a customer in Johnsonburg that was delivered to Greendell, as
3500-741: The DL&W, the Jersey Central (CNJ), the Morris & Essex Railroad (M&E), and the Warren Railroad . In 1853, construction began on the 19-mile (31 km) Warren Railroad, which would connect the CNJ at Hampton, New Jersey , and the DL&W's mainline at the Delaware River , in anticipation of an eventual merger between the two older railroads. Expensive to build, the Warren required three large bridges, two tunnels, and much excavation before it opened in 1856. In 1862, Oxford Tunnel (also known as Van Nest Gap Tunnel) opened, relieving trains of
3600-506: The EL's conveyance into Conrail in 1976. Conrail ceased operation of the Cut-Off in January 1979, removed the track in 1984, and sold the right-of-way to private developers. In 2001, the state of New Jersey acquired the right-of-way within its borders; the short section in Pennsylvania was eventually conveyed to the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority . A project to restore service on
3700-573: The NEC between Monmouth Junction and Newark. Passengers for New York would transfer at Newark. Eight new stations and a train storage yard would be constructed. In mid-February 2008, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine withdrew the Monmouth Junction alignment from the MOM Plan. Corzine opted to endorse the two remaining alternate alignments (via Red Bank or Matawan-Freehold, the latter which is currently part of
3800-570: The NJ Transit Board of Directors on April 13, 2022, and a Notice to Proceed on the project was announced by NJ Transit on September 8, 2022. Commuter operations are expected to begin no earlier than 2026. In January of 2024, Amtrak unexpectedly dismissed future plans for a stop at Roseville Station in Andover, NJ. No reason for this was given publicly. Congressman Josh Gottheimer was quoted as saying; "Why would Amtrak limit transportation options at
3900-705: The New Jersey-New York section of the West Shore Railroad from Hoboken, NJ to West Nyack, NY. The project has been included in the NJ Transit's portion of the federally-designated Metropolitan Planning Organization, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the fiscal years of 2016–2019. The route holds perhaps the greatest promise in all of New Jersey since it travels through
4000-737: The North River Tunnels in service, which would cause a massive reduction in rail service. As of 2018, the final design was completed and it is being advanced through the U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER grant. The project is partnered with the FRA , PANYNJ , NJ Transit and Amtrak, all of which have provided a total funding of $ 86.5 million. This project will extend the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail from North Bergen in Hudson County to Englewood in Bergen County . The extension will better meet
4100-433: The Old Road needed to be replaced, it really wasn't until after 1905 that the railroad was in a position to take up the project in earnest. This led Truesdale to authorize teams of surveyors to map out potential replacement routes westward from Port Morris, New Jersey , to the Delaware River for what would be the railroad's largest project up until that time. During 1905–06, 14 routes were surveyed (labeled with letters of
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4200-412: The Old Road shifted to the Cut-Off, effectively downgrading the older line to secondary status. The Cut-Off was built to permit unrestricted speeds for passenger trains of 70 mph (110 km/h) (heavier rail that was installed later allowed speeds to increase to 80 mph (130 km/h)). Sidings were built at Slateford, Hainesburg, Johnsonburg, Greendell, Roseville, and Port Morris; about 25% of
4300-538: The Old Road. The north side of Armstrong Cut was trimmed back to prevent further rockslides. The Cut-Off was a scenic highlight for passenger trains. Early in the 20th century, the DL&W's woman in white, Phoebe Snow , was featured in a poster that touted the new line and the Pequest Fill . At that time, and into the early diesel era (late 1940s), the Lackawanna Limited was the railroad's premier train. It
4400-400: The Old Road. The storm also washed out the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Bel-Del Railroad north of Belvidere, New Jersey , leading the railroad to remove the section north to the junction of the Old Road at Manunka Chunk and end PRR service from Trenton, New Jersey , to East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania . The Old Road was the site of the DL&W's most infamous train wreck. On June 16, 1925,
4500-508: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the State of New Jersey , and the State of New York . This project will replace the existing century-old swing-span bridge with a new, fixed-span bridge over the Hackensack River . The current bridge causes train traffic and delays due to maritime traffic, as well as malfunctions occurring from opening and closing; the new bridge will eliminate
4600-474: The Public Transportation Act of 1979 to "acquire, operate, and contract for transportation service in the public interest." NJT originally acquired and managed a number of private bus services, one of the largest being those operated by the state's largest electric company, Public Service Electric and Gas Company . It gradually acquired most of the state's bus services. In northern New Jersey, many of
4700-527: The State and, in addition, to enforce such rules and regulations as the corporation shall adopt and deem appropriate." One of the primary responsibilities of NJ Transit Police is to provide police services and security to the hundreds of bus terminals, rail stations, light-rail stations and all other property owned, operated and leased by NJ Transit throughout the state. The Department employs approximately 250 sworn police officers. This project will expand and restore
4800-525: The United States. NJT also acts as a purchasing agency for many private operators in the state; in particular, buses to serve routes not served by the transit agency. NJT was founded on July 17, 1979, an offspring of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), mandated by the state government to address many then-pressing transportation problems. It came into being with the passage of
4900-801: The United States. At its northern end in Camden, it will connect with the River Line, with which its infrastructure and vehicles will be compatible. At the northern terminus, the Walter Rand Transportation Center , paid transfers will be possible to the PATCO Speedline . The project's goal is to improve mobility and connect towns in Gloucester and Camden counties. The project was originally expected to be completed by 2019, but faced construction delays due to local pushback, lack of funding, and later
5000-473: The alphabet), including several that would have required long tunnels. On September 1, 1906, a route without tunnels was chosen. This New Road (Route "M") would run from the crest of the watershed at Lake Hopatcong at Port Morris Junction to 2 mi (3.2 km) south of the Delaware Water Gap on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River at Slateford Junction . At 28.45 miles (45.9 km),
5100-458: The auxiliary power cables, traction power, and signal and communication devices along the HBLR that were affected by Hurricane Sandy was in the works. Repairs to Hoboken Terminal are said to be complete by 2020. Numerous power line, power system, and flood protection systems were in progress or completed at numerous terminals and stations. The 110-year old Raritan Bay Drawbridge is said to be replaced by
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#17328591396845200-511: The bus routes are arranged in a web. In southern New Jersey, most routes are arranged in a "spoke-and-hub" fashion, with routes emanating from Trenton , Camden , and Atlantic City . In 1983, NJT assumed operation of all commuter rail service in New Jersey from Conrail , which had been formed in 1976 through the merging of a number of financially troubled railroads. Conrail had operated two extensive commuter railroad networks in northern New Jersey under contract to NJDOT; in turn, these lines were
5300-565: The clock during the summer of 1911 when construction fell behind schedule. Stations were built in Greendell , Johnsonburg and Blairstown ; the Greendell area was already being served by the nearby Lehigh & Hudson River Railroad in Tranquility. Interlocking towers were built at Port Morris Junction and Greendell , New Jersey, and Slateford Junction in Pennsylvania. The final cost of
5400-418: The east end of the Cut-Off to Andover, New Jersey , is to be complete in 2026. Amtrak is studying the possible restoration of passenger service over the route to Scranton, Pennsylvania . The line's origin involves two men who most likely never met: John I. Blair and William Truesdale . Blair built the DL&W's Warren Railroad , chartered in 1851 and completed in 1862, to provide a connection between
5500-531: The end of 2019. As of December 2022, the project is still in its design phase, and NJT was given a $ 600K federal grant to study transit-oriented development along the proposed extension. This project will extend Hudson-Bergen Light Rail access in Jersey City . It will extend service from West Side Avenue Station by 0.7 miles (1.1 km) of new rail to a new terminus on the west side of Route 440 . An environmental assessment has been prepared by NJ Transit, and
5600-539: The first time. The new station allowed passengers on trains to Hoboken Terminal to transfer to trains to New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan , saving an estimated 15 minutes over connecting with PATH trains at Hoboken. On October 31, 2005, NJT took over Clocker (NY–Philadelphia) service from Amtrak. Four new trains were added to the schedule, but cut back to Trenton. During Hurricane Sandy in October 2012,
5700-675: The future. The leadership of the municipalities along the route have been organizing for decades to get service running again and have been rezoning the areas around the former train stations ever since being told by NJ Transit that the number of projected riders is too low to justify investment. The Passaic–Bergen–Hudson Transit Project would reintroduce passenger service on the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway right-of-way in Passaic , Bergen and Hudson counties between Hawthorne and Hackensack , as well as extending service to connect to
5800-409: The grades over the Pocono Mountains and EL's early-1960s severing of the Boonton Branch near Paterson, New Jersey . Conrail ran its final through freights via the Cut-Off on November 16, 1978, and used it to move a light engine from Croxton Yard to Scranton two days later. In early January 1979, the line was placed out of service and Port Morris Tower closed. Routine maintenance on the line ceased, and
5900-404: The growing exurban communities in Monroe County, Pennsylvania , the Pocono Mountains , northern Warren County , and southern Sussex County in New Jersey. In October 2015, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requested that a preliminary engineering study be performed in order to update the cost figures on the previous study. Funding for this study is currently being sought. As of 2023,
6000-420: The heart of NJ Transit Bus Operations' Midtown "commuter shed", with four bus routes (165, 167, 168 & 177) running well beyond capacity. Issues regarding the restart of commuter rail service include: With these considerable technical issues, as well as no available space in New York Penn Station for West Shore Line trains, this proposal was put on hold until capacity into New York Penn Station will increase in
6100-535: The interior of northern Ocean County . As of 2006, the line was opposed by Jamesburg and Monroe Township. From Monmouth Junction the line would continue southeast to Jamesburg , Monroe , Englishtown , Manalapan , Freehold Borough , Freehold Township , Howell and Farmingdale . A new rail connection would be required in Farmingdale. It would proceed southward from Farmingdale to Lakehurst, passing through Howell, Lakewood , Jackson , Toms River , Townships, and Lakehurst/ Manchester . Trains would also operate on
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#17328591396846200-444: The intersection of State Route 31 and U.S. Route 46 near Buttzville . The steel bridge across the Delaware River near Delaware, N.J., retains the eastbound track but is no longer in use. In October 1994, commuter rail service was re-established to Hackettstown by NJ Transit , although the operation west of Netcong was under trackage rights granted by Conrail and then later Norfolk Southern Railway . In 2011, Port Morris Junction
6300-412: The line would be about 11 mi (18 km) shorter than the 39.6-mile (63.7 km) Old Road. The new route would have only 15 curves – 42 fewer curves than the Old Road, the equivalent of more than four complete circles of curvature – which increased speeds and decreased running time – more so for freight, but for passenger trains as well. The ruling grade
6400-405: The line's southern terminus would be in Lakehurst, and it would run through Lakewood along existing freight tracks to join the North Jersey Coast Line in Red Bank. It also includes the possibility of a spur between Freehold and Farmingdale. In August 2010, NJT received $ 534,375 in Federal Funds to investigate the possibilities of a MOM line. Since that time there has been no further advancement of
6500-419: The line. Nevertheless, Conrail removed the tracks on the Cut-Off in 1984, and in the following year sold the right-of-way to two land developers: Jerry Turco and Burton Goldmeier. In 2001, the State of New Jersey acquired the right-of-way through eminent domain for $ 21 million. The short section in Pennsylvania was conveyed to the Monroe County Railroad Authority , which joined with Lackawanna County to become
6600-412: The mainlines of the DL&W in Pennsylvania and the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) in New Jersey. But when the Lackawanna-CNJ merger fell through and the Lackawanna merged with the Morris & Essex Railroad in New Jersey instead, the Warren Railroad became part of a circuitous patchwork of rail lines connecting two unanticipated merger partners. The 39-mile (63 km) route (later known as
6700-437: The movable span, thus improving reliability and increasing train speeds. The project is partnered with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NJ Transit, Amtrak, and United States Department of Transportation , with funding provided by NJ Transit, Amtrak , and the Federal Railroad Administration . This project will entail the design and construction of a new Hudson River rail tunnel serving Penn Station, New York, and
6800-401: The needs of travelers in the area, advance cost-effective transit solutions, improve regional mobility and access, reduce roadway congestion, and attract growth and development. There have been several public hearings so far, and the project has received the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement from the Environmental Protection Agency . The final EIS was expected to be completed by
6900-413: The original plans for the Cut-Off, and in fact much of the cut above the tunnel had already been blasted when in October 1909 unstable anticline rock was encountered, leading to a decision to abandon the cut and to blast what would become a 1,040-foot (320 m) tunnel instead. Contractor David W. Flickwir , whose section included Roseville Tunnel and the eastern half of the Pequest Fill, worked around
7000-488: The original reason for using the "Erie side" suddenly no longer existed. As a result, the EL looked to upgrade the "Scranton side", and by 1974 nearly all EL freights had been re-routed to the Scranton Division via the Cut-Off. After Conrail took over, existing labor contracts kept EL's freight schedule largely unchanged. The railroad replaced many rotted ties , returning it to better physical condition. But Conrail eventually shifted all freight traffic to other routes, citing
7100-430: The past four decades (and in some cases much longer), most are still in operational or near-operational condition. A 2009 study by NJT estimated that bringing the line back into operation to Scranton, Pennsylvania , would cost approximately $ 551 million, although service may be extended in several interim phases before reaching Scranton. In 2011, the Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project from Port Morris to Andover ,
7200-882: The plurality of employees". The Governor has veto power on decisions made by the board. NJT splits its operations into three classes: bus, light rail, and commuter rail, operated by four legal businesses: NJ Transit Bus Operations, Inc. , subsidiaries NJ Transit Mercer, Inc. and NJ Transit Morris, Inc. , and NJ Transit Rail Operations, Inc. . NJT Bus Operations operates 253 bus routes using 2,221 buses. Its subsidiaries NJ Transit Mercer and NJ Transit Morris operate those routes concentrated in Trenton and Monmouth and Morris counties. Additional buses are also leased out to several private New Jersey operators, including Coach USA , Lakeland , Transbridge Lines , and Academy . NJT operates three light rail systems: NJT operates thirteen commuter rail lines, two of which are operated under
7300-463: The priority of the train and the type of locomotive and rail cars. By 1943, 131-pound-per-yard (65 kg/m) rail had been installed on the Cut-Off, which permitted fast freights to run at 60 mph (97 km/h) through the Erie Lackawanna years. After Conrail took over operations in 1976, the speed limit was decreased to 50 mph. Local freights served customers at all three stations on
7400-551: The project for over three years, the area all along the Cut-Off, and as far west as Portland, Pennsylvania, benefitted financially. As many as 30 workers may have lost their lives building the Cut-Off. Most of their names remain unknown because they were registered with their contractor by number only. In 1910, for example, five workers were killed in a single blasting mishap near Port Morris, one of several deadly accidents that involved dynamite. Other workers died in machinery or cable car accidents, or landslides. At least one worker
7500-510: The project was $ 11,065,512 in 1911. Adjusted for inflation, this sum would be $ 361,842,242 today . But to build such a project today would cost far more; one 1987 estimate put the modern pricetag at $ 1 billion or more. The first revenue train to operate on the Cut-Off under the new timetable that went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on December 24, 1911, was No. 15, a westbound passenger train that passed through Port Morris Junction at about 3:36 a.m. Most long-distance trains that traversed
7600-474: The project, although given the size and remote location of the project, Assistant Chief Engineer F.L. Wheaton was assigned the task of overseeing the construction in person. To accommodate the labor gangs, deserted farmhouses were converted to barracks, with tent camps providing additional shelter. These workers, many of whom came from Italy and other foreign countries or other parts of the U.S., were recruited and would move on to other projects after their work on
7700-761: The project. The inertia is partially attributed to the cancellation of the Access to the Region's Core project. In November 2008, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), along with both Lehigh and Northampton counties, commissioned a study to explore extending the Raritan Valley Line to the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, which would potentially include stops in Allentown , Bethlehem and Easton . This would resume passenger service previously provided jointly by
7800-536: The project. However, the project was suspended on October 7, 2010, due to concerns that the State of New Jersey would be solely responsible for projected $ 5 billion in overruns. On October 27, 2010, Governor Chris Christie made a final decision to cancel the project. Amtrak later unveiled the Gateway Project , which addresses some of the issues ARC was meant to resolve. Planned to connect Downtown Newark and Elizabeth via Newark Liberty International Airport , NJT
7900-440: The projected completion date for Andover service is 2027, with work at Roseville Tunnel and Andover, NJ ongoing. There is a possibility of Amtrak extending service from New York City to Scranton, PA via the Cut-Off, but no official commitment for that service has been made to date. The Glassboro–Camden Line is an 18-mile (28.97 km) diesel multiple unit (DMU) light rail system planned for southwestern part of New Jersey in
8000-493: The rail operations center of NJ Transit was flooded by 8 feet (2.4 m) of water and an emergency generator submerged. Floodwater damaged at least 65 locomotive engines and 257 rail cars. The Governor of New Jersey appoints a thirteen-member Board of Directors, consisting of eleven voting and two non-voting members. The voting members consist of eight from the general public and three State officials. The two non-voting members are "recommended by labor organizations representing
8100-415: The rehabilitation and modernization of the existing North River Tunnels , which incurred serious and ongoing damage during Hurricane Sandy. The tunnel was flooded with millions of gallons of saltwater during Hurricane Sandy, causing corrosion that continues to damage the century-old tunnel. It plans to build a new tunnel, rather than close and renovate the existing tunnel, as doing so would leave only one of
8200-505: The right-of-way of the Lackawanna Cut-Off . Constructed by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad between 1908 and 1911, this provided a direct route with minimal curves and grades between Slateford Junction , two miles (3.25 km) below the Delaware Water Gap , and the crest of the watershed at Lake Hopatcong ( Port Morris Junction ), the connection with NJT's Montclair-Boonton Line . This would restore long-distance service that
8300-429: The route contained additional sidings. With upwards of 50 trains a day, towermen often ordered freight trains to take a siding or even be rerouted over the Old Road. As traffic decreased, Hainesburg, Johnsonburg and Roseville sidings were altered or removed. The remaining sidings remained in use until 1979. Roseville Tunnel posed occasional problems, especially during the winter with snow and ice buildup. Rockslides were
8400-484: The siding at Johnsonburg no longer existed. There were two accidents on the Cut-Off: There were three other accidents that did not occur on the Cut-Off itself but indirectly involved it: The DL&W was one of the most profitable corporations in the U.S. when it built the Cut-Off. That profitability declined sharply after World War II , leading to the 1960 merger with the Erie Railroad . DL&W single-tracked
8500-655: The signal system was shut off. Scranton-Slateford freights continued running until 1980, when coal deliveries to the Metropolitan Edison power plant in Portland, Pennsylvania , shifted from the Scranton Division to the former Bangor & Portland Railway . Efforts to preserve the Cut-Off began shortly after Conrail ended service on it in 1979. An Amtrak inspection train ran on November 13 of that year, and counties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania made attempts to acquire
8600-491: The south end of Lake Hopatcong about 45 miles (72 km) west-northwest of New York City , to Slateford Junction in Slateford, Pennsylvania near the Delaware Water Gap . When it opened on December 24, 1911, the Cut-Off was considered a super-railroad, a state-of-the-art rail line, having been built using large cuts and fills and two large concrete viaducts , allowing what was considered high-speed travel at that time. It
8700-459: The state which are being studied by the agency, NJDOT , the metropolitan planning organizations of New Jersey (MPO), and contract bus carriers. In 2011, NJT announced that it would equip its entire bus fleet with real-time location , creating the basis for "next bus" scheduling information at bus shelters and web-enabled devices and considered an important feature of BRT. As of 2018, there are several projects in progress. A project to replace
8800-414: The state, connecting to major commercial and employment centers both within the state and in its two adjacent major cities, New York City and Philadelphia . In 2023, the system had a ridership of 209,259,800. Covering a service area of 5,325 square miles (13,790 km ), NJT is the largest statewide public transit system and the third-largest provider of bus, rail, and light rail transit by ridership in
8900-669: The successors of numerous commuter routes dating from the mid-19th century. NJT now operates every passenger and commuter rail line in the state except for Amtrak ; the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH), which is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ; the PATCO Speedline , which is owned by the Delaware River Port Authority ; two SEPTA Regional Rail lines, the West Trenton Line and
9000-498: Was 11 miles (18 km) shorter than the Lackawanna Old Road , the rail line it superseded; it had a much gentler ruling gradient (0.55% vs. 1.1%); and it had 42 fewer curves, with all but one of those remaining permitting passenger train speeds of 70 mph (110 km/h) or more. It also had no railroad crossings at the time of its construction. All but one of the line's 73 structures were built of reinforced concrete ,
9100-468: Was also modernized and renamed the Phoebe Snow , helping breathe freshness back into a passenger train program that had seen only modest improvements since the 1930s. The Phoebe Snow would run for 11 years as a DL&W train and then as an Erie Lackawanna train from 1963 until November 1966. The Lake Cities , ironically a former Erie Railroad train, became the last regularly scheduled passenger train on
9200-407: Was at its maximum height 110 feet (34 m) tall and was 3.12 miles (5.0 km) long, requiring 6,625,648 cubic yards (5,065,671 m ) of fill. Armstrong Cut was 100 feet (30 m) deep and 1 mile (1.6 km) long, mostly through solid rock. The line's deepest cut was Colby Cut (immediately west of what would become Roseville Tunnel ) at 130 feet (40 m) deep. The tunnel was not in
9300-470: Was cut in half from 1.1% to 0.55%. The new line would also be built without railroad crossings to avoid collisions with automobiles and horse-drawn vehicles. Uncertain national economic conditions in 1907 delayed the official start of construction until August 1, 1908. The project was divided into seven sections, one for each contracting company. Sections 3–6 were 5 miles (8 km) each; Sections 1–2 and 7 were of varying lengths. (Theoretically, to divide
9400-467: Was delayed by various environmental and land-use issues, all of which have been resolved. As of 2022, about 4.25 miles (6.84 km) of rail, in three unconnected sections, has been laid between Port Morris and Lake Lackawanna , and most of the right-of-way between Port Morris Junction and the lake had been cleared of trees and debris. Work on the Roseville Tunnel, a two-year project, was approved by
9500-580: Was double-tracked in 1869 and reduced to gauntlet track in 1901. As more and more traffic moved over the line, Oxford Tunnel became the Lackawanna Railroad's worst bottleneck. Truesdale became DL&W president on March 2, 1899 with a mandate to upgrade the entire 900-mile (1,450 km) railroad. Early on, the railroad focused on increasing freight capacity by using larger locomotives and cars, as well as strengthening bridges to handle these larger loads. Although Truesdale recognized early on that
9600-439: Was double-tracked in 1869, and for a few decades, suffered no more serious problems than the intermittent water (and sometimes flooding) also seen in its sister tunnel at Manunka Chunk . By the 1890s, the era's larger locomotives and rolling stock had trouble fitting through the tunnel. In 1901, the railroad installed gauntlet track in the tunnel, effectively turning it into a single-track bottleneck — another reason to build
9700-853: Was later joined by the Pocono Express , the Owl , and the Twilight . While the Lackawanna only operated mainline passenger trains between Hoboken, New Jersey, and Buffalo, New York, passengers could transfer to and from other railroads at Buffalo. For example, the Nickel Plate offered through sleeper service to St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, via the Lackawanna. In 1949, the Lackawanna began modernizing its mainline passenger coaches. The railroad had already begun replacing steam engines with diesels in 1946, starting with mainline passenger trains. The Lackawanna Limited
9800-816: Was re-established to serve the Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project . Lackawanna Cut-Off The Lackawanna Cut-Off (also known as the New Jersey Cut-Off , the Hopatcong-Slateford Cut-Off and the Blairstown Cut-Off ) was a rail line built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W). Constructed from 1908 to 1911, the line was part of a 396-mile (637 km) main line between Hoboken, New Jersey , and Buffalo, New York . It ran west for 28.45 miles (45.79 km) from Port Morris Junction in Port Morris, New Jersey , near
9900-524: Was required for the project, more than could be obtained from the project's cuts. This forced the DL&W to purchase 760 acres (310 ha) of farmland for borrow pits . Depending on the fill size, material was dumped from trains that backed out onto track on wooden trestles or suspended on cables between steel towers. During construction, several foreign governments sent representatives on inspection tours to study these new techniques. The Pequest Fill extended west of Andover to Huntsville, New Jersey . It
10000-444: Was the first stop listed on the destination board at the boarding gate at Hoboken for trains travelling via Scranton. In later years, Blairstown had a somewhat unusual facet of operation: any trains arriving after the station agent went home for the night would automatically activate the station platform lights as the train entered the signal block. This practice was abandoned after passenger service ended. Besides cutting travel time,
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