Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

Author: John Bobsin

  • 1000 Stranded by Downed Wire

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    John Bobsin

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    On the coldest night of the year, 1000 riders on a packed rush-hour NJ Transit train from New York to New Brunswick got no farther than a little beyond Newark on Tuesday evening, January 7, after an overhead wire fell on the train.  Heat and main lighting immediately failed, and the train sat from 6:15 p.m.…

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  • Drive, Don’t Ride: Congress

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    John Bobsin

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    Once again, it appears that Congress has no trouble subsidizing people who drive to work, but transit users?  That’s another matter. The disparity is sharply in focus these days, as the program that allows transit riders a tax benefit was slashed at the turn of the year, while benefits for drivers increased.  The disparity amounts…

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  • NY Restrooms Closed for Renovation

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    John Bobsin

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    Nearly 6 months after NJ Transit’s 7th Avenue Concourse restrooms at New York Penn Station embarrassed the railroad when their decrepit conditions were publicly disclosed, a 2-week renovation began on January 2 as the facilities were closed for the work.  Temporary repairs had been made after NJ Association of Railroad Passengers President Albert Papp Jr.…

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  • Metro-North Hit by Worker Fraud Charges

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    John Bobsin

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    Metro-North Railroad, still reeling from the fatal train wreck on December 1 and consequent operating changes forced by federal inquiries, now is contending with an investigation by the inspector general of its parent agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, according to reporting by Matt Flegenheimer in The New York Times (Dec. 19). The investigation, covering a…

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  • Raritan–Manhattan Direct Service Begins March 2

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    John Bobsin

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    NJ Transit will begin offering limited direct service from stations on the Raritan Valley Line to New York Penn Station beginning March 2, the first direct service to Manhattan ever offered to riders on the line.  However, the service will not be provided during peak commuter hours, because of the unavailability of timeslots to add…

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  • Charges Unlikely in Metro-North Wreck

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    John Bobsin

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    After 4 passengers died in the Metro-North wreck on December 1, suspicion rapidly focused on the engineer after it became apparent that he either dozed off or was in some sort of “highway hypnosis” state before the crash—but does that put him at fault, or is he just human?  According to reporting online by Murray…

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  • Metro-North Safety Commitment Questioned

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    John Bobsin

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    Two weeks after Metro-North (M-N) Railroad’s fatal crash on December 1, questions continue to surface regarding the railroad’s attention to safety.  Significant changes in the line’s safety procedures were implemented startlingly quickly after the wreck, within days in some cases, leading observers to wonder why they couldn’t have been in effect earlier and prevented the…

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  • US Orders Metro-North Safety Review

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    John Bobsin

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    Following the fatal train wreck on December 1, the United States Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on December 12 ordered an “extraordinarily rare” review of Metro-North Railroad’s operations and “safety culture”, according to reporting by Matt Flegenheimer in The New York Times (Dec. 13).  The FRA dubbed the review, expected to last 60 days, “Operation Deep…

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  • Metro-North to Upgrade Signals After Wreck

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    John Bobsin

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    Acting quickly on December 8 after the Federal Railway Administration ordered enhanced safety precautions following the fatal Metro-North crash on December 1, Metro-North Railroad said it had enhanced its signal systems to warn trains approaching the slow-speed curve at Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx.  In addition, if the train is within the curve and exceeding…

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  • NJT Super Pass on Super Bowl Weekend

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    John Bobsin

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    NJ Transit is gearing up for Super Bowl weekend.  To encourage transit use by the 400,000 visitors expected in the metropolitan area (only 80,000 of whom can fit in MetLife Stadium for the game itself), NJT plans to offer an unlimited-ride ticket called the Super Pass, good from January 27 through February 3, for a…

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