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Re: (erielack) AMTRAK F-40s for Pocono service? AEM7ACs Anyone?

"Inlinebob_@_aol.com" wrote:

> With all due respect, I have to disagree. That argument holds no water for
> anyone not bound for Greenwhich Village or the WTC. Look at the huge demand for
> Mid-town Direct service. People were not "content" on the EL side, they were
> forced! As soon as the option was given, they flocked to NYP if they had
> mid-town or higher destinations.

Actually, from what I am told, most of the flock of riders for Midtown Direct
came off the highway as new riders. My rush hour train has at least a hundred
standees everyday and could easily fill five cars if we were given them. While
the numbers of riders in and out of Hoboken may not be what they were pre Midtown
service, they still fill the rush hour trains in and out of this terminal so
somebody wants to go to Hoboken  When problems occur in NYP or Portal bridge, as
happens all too frequently,  Hoboken has a real crowd control problem.


> It is not just about where in NY you are going, it is about connecting to the
> national rail system and easy transfer to other transit.

I thought the discussion here was about going to work on mass transit and if the
PA riders don't want to go to Hoboken then I believe the reality is: there is no
choice but to drive or take a bus.

> There is no pro-rider argument for Hoboken solely over New York City. A mix
> might work.

Not if you want PA service to be delayed for another ten to fifteen years. . .or
longer.

> Yes, capacity is an issue, but a little creative thinking and I am sure that
> will be solved. A little imagination on NJT's part might see a tweaking of
> schedules. Just imagine one NEC and one more NY&LB train routed to Hoboken or
> terminated in
> Newark each morning to allow room for two Scranton or one Scranton and one
> Raritan NYP train.

Why would NJT route New Jersey riders to undesirable terminals such as Newark or
Hoboken so that PA riders can terminate in NYP? Doesn't make sense from a NJ
point of view and if you are talking about "the central Jersey point of view" how
about those poor riders from the Raritan Valley Line who have been getting
screwed since the late 60s and the Aldene connection. Wouldn't New Jersey
commuters be better served by giving them the all precious "one seat ride" into
NYP. That serves New Jersey residents, and tax payers, better then the Scranton
service.

In my opinion, the problem with NYP service is congestion. Midtown Trains are
having difficulty getting out of NYP on time with the service levels as they are.
Remember that Amtrak, Trenton, NY&LB, Midtown, and the Long Island all use the
East River tunnels and a delay on one of them can affect the whole parade of
trains out of Sunnyside. My understanding is that with the startup of Boonton
Line service three more slots will be taken into NYP. Amtrak has been trying to
increase train capacity in the North River tunnels by removing wayside signals
and bunching the trains closer together. You should hear the stories from
engineers who are doing 60 MPH through the tunnel with the hind end of the train
ahead visible. How much closer would you like these trains to get?

The answer to congestion in NYP is not only a three Billion dollar third tunnel
but increased capacity in NYP itself. I was told by NY Transit planners that if
the okay for the tunnel was given today it would take ten years for the
construction to be completed and all plans for a third tunnel include service
through to Grand Central Station. I will not see it in my working life. How long
do you want Scranton service to be delayed or are you really talking about
abandoning the whole idea of PA service?

> It is also true many riders will have a Morris County destination, but for
> those who do not... especially on the Scranton and possible Wilkes-Barre or
> Bingo ends, NYP is the only sensible destination.

NYP is a very sensible destination, just not practical in the near future. Should
we abandon all plans until the congestion problem is solved? I don't think that
is a realistic solution. IMHO, get the Scranton service started with NYP riders
changing in Dover resolving the NYP capacity problems as soon as possible.

> Without it, you will have plenty of room to stretch out over the empty seats.
>
> Just my two cents,
>
> Rob

Rob,
I think I understand where you are coming from but Hoboken with PATH and the
Waterway connection is there now ready to serve the riders from PA. If they don't
ride our trains they will pollute our air with their exhaust emissions and clog
our highways. This service is the right alternative at this time.

Steve



- --
Chauffeur to the Masses
BLE Div. 171, Hoboken, NJ
http://userweb.interactive.net/~gumby/
http://people.csnet.net/stevekay/



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