(rshsdepot) Morristown & Erie Railway Applies To Operate Parts of Rahway Valley & Staten Island Railway in Union County, NJ

[Bernie Wagenblast <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

New Jersey short line to operate county-owned lines

From ProgressiveRailroading.com

Morristown & Erie Railway Inc. (M&E) recently filed an application with
Surface Transportation Board to rehabilitate and operate certain lines owned
by Union County, N.J.

The 42-mile short line plans to activate the lines in four phases: (1)
former Staten Island Railway Corp. lines in Linden; (2) former Staten Island
Railway lines in Cranford; (3) a former Rahway Valley Railroad Co.
Cranford-to-Union mainline; and (4) a former Rahway Valley Union-to-Summit
mainline.

M&E and the county May 9 reached a 10-year operating agreement, under which
M&E will rehabilitate Phase 1 and 2 lines (except for a specified limitation
in Phase 2), and initiate rail service within six months.

M&E wouldn't begin rehabilitating or servicing Phase 3 lines until it
receives the county's written concurrence, at which time the short line
would be required to initiate service within nine months. M&E and the county
in the future would have to agree on a timetable for the Phase 4 line.

Pending STB approval, M&E would interchange traffic with Conrail, Norfolk
Southern Railway and CSX Transportation at Cranford, Linden and Bound Brook,
N.J., and provide through service by exercising its right to operate over
New Jersey Transit's line at Cranford Junction.

  Bernie Wagenblast
  Transportation Communications Newsletter
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications/


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