by Irish Chieftain
This thread ain't about the Tappan Zee rail link proposal per se—it's about linking the Port Jervis Line to Stewart Airport. I mentioned the Tappan Zee link in the context of the only case where NJT would not be operating a train to Stewart Airport. Under the status quo, NJ Transit would be operating all trains to/from Stewart Airport.
As far as the Tappan Zee proposal goes, it's still in limbo. It was originally supposed to be part of the new highway bridge, but apparently nobody knew what exactly to do with it. If it were to be linked with the Piermont Branch (only way it could do this is if the rail line follows I-87 to Nanuet, where the PVL crosses that highway), Metro-North could operate dual-mode diesel trains between GCT and Port Jervis—not electrified, since the cost of third-rail electrification can be rather high and would require building high platforms en-masse to accommodate Metro-North's MU fleet whose doors are strictly for high platforms (Metro-North's Shoreliner push-pulls have steps and trapdoors). NJT, in such a case, would still operate Hoboken-Suffern as most Main-Bergen trains do.
As far as the Tappan Zee proposal goes, it's still in limbo. It was originally supposed to be part of the new highway bridge, but apparently nobody knew what exactly to do with it. If it were to be linked with the Piermont Branch (only way it could do this is if the rail line follows I-87 to Nanuet, where the PVL crosses that highway), Metro-North could operate dual-mode diesel trains between GCT and Port Jervis—not electrified, since the cost of third-rail electrification can be rather high and would require building high platforms en-masse to accommodate Metro-North's MU fleet whose doors are strictly for high platforms (Metro-North's Shoreliner push-pulls have steps and trapdoors). NJT, in such a case, would still operate Hoboken-Suffern as most Main-Bergen trains do.