Lackawanna Cutoff Passenger Service Restoration

In the news: Tap Into Roxbury

Wetlands Regs Stall Roxbury to Andover Train Plan

ROXBURY, NJ – The restoration of passenger train service on the historic Lackawanna Cutoff between Port Morris and Andover is unlikely to happen until late 2018, a year later than proponents expected.

The delay is being caused by regulatory requirements involving wetlands impacted by the project, including the construction of a new station in Andover, according to Chuck Walsh, president of the North Jersey Rail Commuter Association.

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The 7-mile extension of New Jersey Transit service from Andover to Port Morris, where it would connect with the existing tracks, has been proceeding in a piecemeal, slow fashion. In 2011 and 2012 slightly less than four miles of track was installed between Port Morris and just east of Lake Lackawanna.

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Among the stumbling blocks are requirements that New Jersey Transit buy wetlands elsewhere in the state (called securing “wetlands credits”) to offset the wetland areas impacted by the construction of Andover Station. Securing these credits could take up to ten months - and construction can’t start until they are secured - meaning New Jersey Transit is unlikely to continue construction until next October.

Jeff Smith wrote:In the news: Tap Into Roxbury

Wetlands Regs Stall Roxbury to Andover Train Plan

ROXBURY, NJ – The restoration of passenger train service on the historic Lackawanna Cutoff between Port Morris and Andover is unlikely to happen until late 2018, a year later than proponents expected.

The delay is being caused by regulatory requirements involving wetlands impacted by the project, including the construction of a new station in Andover, according to Chuck Walsh, president of the North Jersey Rail Commuter Association.

...

The 7-mile extension of New Jersey Transit service from Andover to Port Morris, where it would connect with the existing tracks, has been proceeding in a piecemeal, slow fashion. In 2011 and 2012 slightly less than four miles of track was installed between Port Morris and just east of Lake Lackawanna.

...

Among the stumbling blocks are requirements that New Jersey Transit buy wetlands elsewhere in the state (called securing “wetlands credits”) to offset the wetland areas impacted by the construction of Andover Station. Securing these credits could take up to ten months - and construction can’t start until they are secured - meaning New Jersey Transit is unlikely to continue construction until next October.

But it is still happening.

Is the line to Andover an especially environmentally sensitive area, or will we see a similar issue with the rest of the cutoff extension - if and when that happens?

I'm not familiar with the area. I understand this is an existing right of way, and that NJT needs to bring the line back to service. Is the cost to do so between Port Morris and Andover significantly higher than the rest of the line? Will this significantly decrease the cost of the next phase of construction, or will it have a negligible effect?

My family has a house in the Poconos, and I would totally take the train if it were an option. During the summer the trip out on a Friday afternoon and back on a Sunday evening can easily take more than two hours each way. I'd rather spend that time on a train.

The track is not in a wetland, it's up on a tall embankment. The wetlands are likely to one side of the embankment. Some of the northeast corridor has wetlands on either side in NJ, but nowhere a station or a road would make sense. If the station lot is going to be off of main street, then that is likely where the wetlands are, up next to the base of the embankment...

The real stumbling block to restoring service on the Cutoff is the fact Pennsylvania has not made any funds available for its critically important part of the projecyt. The project has bi-partisan support in northeast Pennsylvania but the price tag has caused a lot of concern from legislators in other parts of the state.

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, who has made it his personal mission to get the train service back, said he and other legislators, such as state Sen. John Blake, D-Archbald, and state Rep. Mike Carroll, D-Avoca, met with Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch before the transportation hearing in Scranton on Sept. 25, 2014.

“It was a critical meeting because Secretary Schoch is very familiar with the project, and he’s also very familiar with working with the Federal Transit Administration and the things they’re looking for in approving a project,” Cartwright said. “He also made clear in his mind, Harrisburg is not going to provide the sole local assistance in a passenger rail project. Rather, they’re looking for significant buy-in from the local counties that stand to benefit from the project for maintenance and operation expenses.” News link

Last Fall the Pennsylvania Legislature passed a comprehensive funding program for mass transit in the state called Act 89. It was hoped that possibly the Cutoff could get some funding from this source -- Septa is receiving almost $600 million for reinvestment in its system this year from the program, the first major state-funded reinvestment Septa has gotten in a long time -- but so far the Cutoff has been left out.

I wonder if NJ and PA officials are talking about this project these days.unless there is some kind of bi state agreement I can't imagine the Feds would sign on.

Every time I stop in to see if Congressman Cartwright is hisoffice, his staff expresses on his behalf his support of renewed service on the Cutoff. I have faith in democracy. And I'm a Jets fan. I wonder if there's a correlation there?

Messrs. Meehan and Semper Fi, doth we mean US Rep, Matt Cartwright D-PA17?

So if you're in the PA legislature, you just do a bit of horse-trading. Funding for a second Pennsylvanian frequency (name it "Three Rivers") and this run by NJT.

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Verily, sire, it is he we doth mean! Huzzah!

Tommy Meehan wrote:The real stumbling block to restoring service on the Cutoff is the fact Pennsylvania has not made any funds available for its critically important part of the projecyt.

They've done what they needed to do to have actual rails in use on their side of the river.

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Once the rails on the New Jersey side exist there will be some sort of arrangement for Pennsylvanians to use them. Like railroads have been doing since the first two met back in the early 19th Century.

PNRRA? I was hoping for NEPTA.

Once the rails on the New Jersey side exist there will be some sort of arrangement for Pennsylvanians to use them.

I don't see that happening anytime in the next 10+ years. If NJ is going to come up with big bucks for rail improvements, it's going to the Gateway Tunnel project. I don't see NJ residents being real happy putting up with higher taxes/fees to make life better for PA residents. The attitude will be: "if you want it, you pay for it."

kilroy wrote:

Once the rails on the New Jersey side exist there will be some sort of arrangement for Pennsylvanians to use them.

I don't see that happening anytime in the next 10+ years. If NJ is going to come up with big bucks for rail improvements, it's going to the Gateway Tunnel project. I don't see NJ residents being real happy putting up with higher taxes/fees to make life better for PA residents. The attitude will be: "if you want it, you pay for it."

Amen. I am a taxpayer first and railfan second.

Third that as a taxpayer of NJ.

Going back to "time's" post of Aug 16th. The Andover station site is impacting a wetlands area. Additional environmental impacts will occur throughout the line due to tree clearing. The largest expenses on the Andover extension would be the station site itself and the Roseville Tunnel. Further west from there any future extension to PA I would think the largest expenses will be the rehab of the two large concrete viaducts.