Re: (erielack) Metro-North pours $370M into Port Jervis line

[Bill Sheppard <sheprail_@_aol.com>]

Bruce and List,

The shift of passenger trains from the Main Line to the Graham Line

was endorsed by Orange County Executive Lou Heimbach and

Middletown Mayor Myron Perry for many of the reasons that Bruce

has explained. Back then, the City of Middletown maintained two fire

houses in case the tracks through town were blocked by trains.

Bill Sheppard

- -----Original Message-----

From: Bruce <qc_@_comcast.net>

To: EL Mail List <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>

Sent: Sun, Sep 15, 2013 9:44 pm

Subject: Re: (erielack) Metro-North pours $370M into Port Jervis line

Re: Ridership on the Main Line through Middletown and Goshen.
There was very little parking on railroad owned property, the towns grewup around the rail stations. The present rail stations generally havestate sponsored park and ride lots with many more spaces but no walk-uppatrons. If Metro North had decided to add parking and upgraded thetrack to a single track with new rail, concrete ties, new signals andnew ballast from East Greycourt to perhaps Middletown, ridership mayhave been able to be increased to its present level. However the cost ofland and the track and signal work may not have seemed a goodinvestment. Also how interested would ConRail have been in cooperating?Hard to say. Anyone who formerly walked to a Main Line station certainlywas not pleased with the movement of the trains to the Graham Line.
Bruce Breeman

On 9/15/2013 4:38 PM, Keith Smollin wrote:
> It was a different setup under EL with trains going through Goshen and
> downtown Middletown. I wonder if ridership would be higher today if this
> route was still being used
> KS
>
>
> On Sun, Sep 15, 2013 at 4:31 PM, Bruce <qc_@_comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> Prior to getting pushpull equipment, the two trains from Port Jervis used
>> the remaining air conditioned Stillwells available. I have no idea on
>> ridership, but in 1971 there were not that many commuters boarding at Port
>> Jervis compared to Murray Hill, Glen Rock [Main Line] and Bernardsville to
>> which I can personally compare daily ticket sales and ridership. Many of
>> the 1971 stations on the former Erie Main Line in Orange County no longer
>> have service, so any accurate comparison 1970's to 21st Century ridership
>> can not be made.
>> Bruce Breeman
>>
>> On 9/15/2013 10:20 AM, Ed Montgomery wrote:
>>
>>> This brings up a question.  What was the "Port service" like during the EL
>>> years?  Did more people ride the train back then?  In the age of Erie,
>>> many
>>> of those trains handled mail and express to support their operation.  I
>>> wonder what ridership was like in the 50s?  These were almost long
>>> distance
>>> trains often using the A/C equipped Stillwells.
>>>
>>> Ed Montgomery
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, Sep 15, 2013 at 2:33 AM, Gary R. Kazin <gkazin_@_yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>   Metro-North pours $370M into Port Jervis line Repairs linked to prospects
>>>> of more ridership.
>>>>
>>>> By Judy Rife
>>>> Times Herald-Record
>>>> Published: 2:00 AM - 09/15/13
>>>>
>>>> Metro-North Railroad, proved wrong time and again on ridership
>>>> projections, has continued to pour money into the Port Jervis line on the
>>>> theory that someday, the riders will come.This year alone, the railroad
>>>> is
>>>> spending $67 million to replace the line's circa-1940s signal system and
>>>> $3
>>>> million to repair its circa-1900s Otisville Tunnel — all to benefit a
>>>> weekday average of 2,000 riders, a number that hasn't budged appreciably
>>>> in
>>>> a decade.
>>>> And before the year is over, Metro-North will spell out its plans to
>>>> build
>>>> a second train yard somewhere east of Salisbury Mills, add a second track
>>>> between Salisbury Mills and Sloatsburg and preserve a potential
>>>> right-of-way for an eventual spur to Stewart International Airport.
>>>>
>>>> Full article:
>>>> http://www.recordonline.com/**apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/**
>>>> 20130915/BIZ/309150320<http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130915/BIZ/309150320>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Gary R. Kazin
>>>> DL&W RR Milepost R35.7
>>>> Rockaway, New Jersey
>>>>
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