Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

Tag: From the Railgram

  • 2024: Bad Times for NJT Riders

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    Webweaver

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    Using the system in 2024 was more difficult than normal and there were several bad policy decisions made. Here are some highlights: New Fare Policy NJT proposed and approved: This was a price shock to riders. New fare policies and an increase were proposed in February with hearings in March. Little lead time was given…

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  • Report from the Chair (January 2025)

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    Sally Jane Gellert

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    With the holiday season over, a new year begun, and Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Day intersecting in a manner most ironic, it’s hard to predict what’s next for NJ Transit and its riders.  New president/CEO Kolluri is expected to hold the position only until the next governor’ election at the end of the…

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  • Welcome, Franck Beaumin and Kris Kolluri

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    Sally Jane Gellert

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    At our November meeting, we were pleased to welcome new NJ Transit Customer Advocate Franck Beaumin, who brings to the agency both international and domestic experience.  He even went beyond our expectation of his stopping by on Zoom and attended in person! Also joining NJ Transit is Kris Kolluri as the new president/CEO, at least…

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  • In Memoriam: Jessica Haley

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    Sally Jane Gellert

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    Along with others, we mourn the tragic loss of River Line operator Jessica Haley, and express concern for the many passengers injured in the October 14th accident when the train hit a “chunk of tree“ on the tracks.  The event raises safety concerns in terms of both equipment and operations, and we will be watching…

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  • NJ Transitway: Our Oct. 10 Board Comments

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    Sally Jane Gellert

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    The last item on the agenda this evening is a contract for the Transitway at Secaucucs.  What is unusual about this contract-approval request is that there is no dollar amount with it, merely “amount discussed in executive session”.   Since we have been attending board meetings, this is the first time that there has not been…

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  • NJ Transit Hires “Customer Advocate”—Finally

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    Sally Jane Gellert

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    At its October meeting, the NJ Transit board announced that after years of not following the legislature’s direction to hire a new customer advocate, they finally have hired Franck Beaumin to fill the position.  Congratulations—we think.  When the law was first passed, and during the short term of the original public-relations expert, a “round table”…

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  • Trip Report: Connecting at Kingsland Station

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    Sally Jane Gellert

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    My trip to the NJT board meeting last month was a bit different from usual; normally, I take a Pascack Valley train from either Woodcliff Lake or Essex Street, but this time I got to Essex Street a bit late, missing the Train 1632 at 4:48.  Fortunately, there was a 76 bus leaving at 5:12—but…

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  • Report from the Chair – Nov/Dec 2024 Edition

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    Sally Jane Gellert

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    As I write this, the election is still a week away, but by the time you are reading, we will know in what direction our country will be headed.  Surely transit will be one of the many items to be greatly affected by that result.  We’ll address possible implications and expectations of the incoming administration…

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  • Multilevel cars to get their trucks overhauled, but what about the windows?

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    David Peter Alan

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    NJ Transit approved a contract on Thursday, October 10 to overhaul the trucks on 100 Multilevel II cars, which were ordered in 2010 and built by Bombardier in 2012–13. The overhaul is slated to cost almost $26 million, to be funded by the Transportation Trust Fund.  It will be performed by Alstom, which purchased Bombardier…

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  • NJ Transit Runs Special Trains to “Railroad Museum [for a day]”

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    David Peter Alan

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    As it has done for many years, the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey held its “Railroad Museum [for a day]” event at its facility in Boonton on Sunday, September 29. This year, NJ Transit allowed nonmotorists as well as motorists to reach the event by running special trains every 2 hours (4 round…

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