• History of the Lines We Represent

    The railroad lines operated today by NJ Transit as the Morris & Essex and the Montclair-Boonton Lines have a fascinating history, dating from the earliest days of American railroading in the middle of the Nineteenth Century. This page gives a brief history of the construction, improvement, and operation of these lines, which today form vital…

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  • NJT Promises No “Major” Cuts for Year

    NJT Executive Director Richard Sarles said at the corporation’s board meeting in July that the 2009–2010 budget called for no “major” service reductions, despite a cut in aid from the State.  The Lackawanna Coalition remains skeptical of this claim, since the 2008 elimination of more than 40% of off-peak service on the Morris & Essex…

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  • Light Rail To Serve East Bergen County

    NJT announced that the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit (HBLRT) line will be extended to Tenafly on the former Northern Branch.  The line will be extended from its current northern terminus at Tonnelle Avenue, allowing through service to and from Hoboken.  The other alternative under consideration had been a diesel-powered shuttle.  Local rail advocates, including several…

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  • Gladstone Weekend Service Back By Oct

    Weekend rail service between Summit and Gladstone will resume in October, according to New Jersey Transit rail chief William Duggan.  Duggan told the Coalition that the date is not definite, but weekend service will be restored on the line before the end of October.  Duggan said details must be worked out with Amtrak before the…

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  • Cutoff Line to Scranton Gathers Steam

    Service to Scranton came a step closer when the Federal Transit Administration issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Scranton project.  This clears the way for further engineering work, before construction contracts are awarded.  Political leaders and rail advocates in New York State are also expressing interest in the extension of service…

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  • Montclair Pushes for Weekend Service

    Montclair Mayor Jerry Fried and several residents from his town have called for weekend rail service on the Montclair-Boonton Line.  They call for service to be operated to and from Hoboken.  Passengers on these trains could easily connect at Newark’s Broad Street Station with Morris & Essex Line trains between New York City and Dover. …

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  • NJT Breaks Ground for ARC Tunnel

    The Lackawanna Coalition supports additional tunnel capacity to Manhattan, but opposes the proposed “deep cavern” terminal that is planned to accompany the proposed additional tunnels.  We continue to question the affordability of the deep-cavern terminal portion of the project, and we object to the planned eviction of Morris & Essex and Montclair-Boonton Line riders from…

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  • No Fare Increase, but Service Cuts Soon?

    New Jersey Transit has announced that fares will not increase this fiscal year.  Since the State budget has cut funding for NJT, it is likely that service will be reduced.  The Lackawanna Coalition is deeply concerned about impending service cuts, especially since off-peak rail service on the Morris & Essex Line was slashed in May,…

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