Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

Month: October 2012

  • NJT Debates Electric-Car Options

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    John Bobsin

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    NJ Transit has invested heavily in new passenger equipment in recent years; customers note the “multilevel” (double-deck) equipment in service on most lines, but the railroad has also purchased new diesel and electric locomotives, and most recently a fleet of “dual-mode” locomotives has begun arriving—these units can operate both as ordinary diesels or as electric…

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  • Area Transit Shuts Down for Storm

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    John Bobsin

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    As tropical storm Sandy neared the area, all transit systems in the region shut down on Sunday, October 28.  By Monday morning all trains and buses in the region were at a standstill, and states of emergency were in effect.  NJ Transit announced that major stations such as Newark Penn Station, Secaucus Junction,  and Trenton…

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  • MTA Mulls Westchester/Bronx/Penn Station Service

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    John Bobsin

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    According to reporting on WNYC (Oct. 9), New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is considering a completely new line of rail service, using the Hell Gate Bridge to allow trains to run from Connecticut and Westchester through the Bronx and into Queens, Manhattan, and possibly Brooklyn.  MTA reportedly has asked residents of the East Bronx how…

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  • Port Authority Documents Not Easily Accessible

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    John Bobsin

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    It’s always been problematic for those interested in how public agencies work to get access to internal documents.  Laws such as the federal Freedom of Information Act and New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act are one way by which the public can find out what’s actually going on in often-opaque public agencies and authorities.  The…

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  • NJT NonUnion Workers to Lose Free Ride Privileges

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    John Bobsin

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    The time-honored perk of giving all railroad employees will end January 1 for NJ Transit nonunion employees,  following action at NJT’s Oct. 15 board meeting.  Union employees have the free rides written into their contracts, so won’t be affected, at least for the time being—although union contracts are currently under negotiation.  The change would be largely…

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  • Metro-North Boosts Off-Peak, Weekend Schedules

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    John Bobsin

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    On NJ Transit, schedules have been largely unchanged for years, with minor changes from time to time, and elimination of many off-peak trains to Hoboken the major event.  However, on many off-peak trains, particularly on weekends, traffic continues to build, often threatening to reach train capacity.  On New York’s Metro-North Railroad, off-peak traffic is also…

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