Current News
New Jersey Transit Eyes Conrail's Linden Yard for Train Storage During Future Major Storms:
NJT and Conrail Shared Assets will meet this week to review what would be needed to prepare the Linden Yard for emergency storage of up to 300 cars and locomotives during a major weather event, such as the recently experienced Hurricane Sandy. The Linden Yard, located along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor between the Linden and Rahway Stations, was used until 2005 for freight cars containing parts to a closed General Motors automobile assembly plant.
More Multilevel Coaches Delivered:
A special move by Amtrak brought a train of 21 Multilevel coaches from Bombardier's plant in Plattsburgh, New York to New York's Penn Station in mid-November 2012 to assist New Jersey Transit in recovering from the equipment shortage that resulted from Hurricane Sandy. (See: Video) Since then, another 17 Multilevel coaches have been delivered. NJT's Board of Directors approved the purchase of 100 of these cars from Bombardier for an amount not to exceed $293,539,950 or $2,935,539.50 apiece on July 14, 2010. Seventy of these cars, which are popular with passengers primarily because of their two-and-two seating, were intended to replace Jersey Arrow III MUs, with the remaining 30 to permit selected trains to be lengthened to ease peak-period crowding and/or allow older locomotive-propelled Comet coaches to be retired.
Modern Streetcars to Return to Detroit:
US Secretary of Transportation Raymond LaHood, while on a January 18th visit to attend the annual Detroit Auto Show, announced a federal TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant of $25 million for the M-1 Woodward Avenue "light rail streetcar" line. Over $100 million has been committed by private firms and organizations towards the construction of this $137 million project, with the remainder to come from state and local sources. The not-for-profit M-1 Rail Corporation will operate the streetcar line initially. The line will be 3.3 miles long, extending from the Grand Boulevard/New Center area (adjacent to the Amtrak station) to Downtown Detroit. Most of its length will be one lane over from the curb running in mixed traffic, Portland Streetcar style. Six modern low-floor streetcars with air conditioning will be purchased for the line from a to-be-determined manufacturer. PCC car operation on the Detroit's first generation Woodward Avenue streetcar line ended on April 8, 1956, following the sale of the entire fleet of 183 post-war cars to Mexico City. [NJ-ARP has long supported development of a similar project for Hoboken's Washington Street, using modern low floor streetcars and/or New Jersey Transit's venerable PCC cars, 8 of which last used in 2001 remain stored under tarps at the Jersey City yard of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail system and could be rehabilitated, equipped with air conditioning and made ADA compliant.]
Coming Events
Grand Central Terminal's Centennial Celebration on February 1st:
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Metro-North Railroad will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad's opening of Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal on Friday, February 1, 2013. A day-long program of activities, commencing at 9:30 AM, will include a public re-dedication ceremony and musical performances that will continue well into the evening. The morning ceremony will feature elected officials, celebrities and VIPs, including a descendant of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt (who put the NYC&HR together from a series of short lines extending across New York State), and performances by award-winning musicians. Events will include the placement of a commemorative plaque in the Stationmaster's Office by the National Railway Historical Society. Harking back to the days of the Twentieth Century Limited, red carpets will be rolled out at entrances to GCT. And historic railroad equipment will be on display. Will Hickory Creek, one of the two famous streamlined tavern-lounge cars used in later years on the Century, be there? You'll have to come to the celebration to find out. More information about the GCT centennial celebrations, which will continue for months.
Next NJ-ARP Board Meeting on March 16, 2013:
The next meeting of the NJ-ARP Board of Directors has been scheduled for Saturday, March 16, 2013, likely to be held in Perth Amboy. The location and timing will be posted on our website as soon as details are firmed up. All currently-paid up members will be welcome to attend and participate in the board's discussions.
