Lackawanna Cutoff Passenger Service Restoration

I saw in the legal column of the Newark Star Ledger of about a week ago, NJT has submitted a wish list to the FRA requesting 3.2 million dollars for the Lackawanna Cut Off. We will have to wait and see what happens. They have also requested $$ for many other projects but the Cut Off caught my attention. Here is hoping!!

3.2 million American Peso's won't even pay for a mile of track in these days, its not even a drop in a bucket.

DutchRailnut wrote:3.2 million American Peso's won't even pay for a mile of track in these days, its not even a drop in a bucket.

Depends on who's building the track. Give me $3.2 million, and I'll give you way more than a mile of track!

Geezes, read this and you'll likely never again wonder why it's taking so long to rebuild the Cut-Off !!



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I'll bet this track didn't cost $3.2 million per mile. Laugh if you want, but while you're laughing, we could be building this type of system all the way across the Cutoff for less than the cost of a typical feasibility study!

At this rate, I'll be impressed if service to Andover starts before 2020.

Rail, ties and clips/pads are cheap, relatively. Any of us could lay rail, with more or less mechanical assistance. The ballast is not too expensive, but the grading and subgrade renewal starts to add up. All the office work of adding the Andover Branch (since NJT would have to be insane to call it anything smacking of further distance) into the schedule, both public and internal, won't be too cheap either. But, I suspect that cutting the Andover Branch into the existing signal system will be the really expensive part.

Paying off the mob, the Christie, Menendez, Cory Booker, Steve Garrett (NJ 5th) and Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ 11th) campaign funds, and the second mortgages on the beach homes of the NJT executives can't be cheap either

I think 2020 is probably too early. I have a feeling NJT is trying to delay this to no end because they realize how bad of an operational nightmare going only to Andover will be.

Now that the rest of the line is pretty much off the table, they have to find ways to cover themselves.

I spoke to someone at the state about the project. They claim to build a RR is relatively cheap. NJT doesn't want to maintain it after its built, since it adds more to the capital budget. Who knows how true this is.Anyway, Andover WILL happen and it won't be a big operational challenge, since dual modes can operate into Penn. I'm surprised they aren't going west of Dover yet to Port Morris. I will be this happens at some point soon

The cost to build it initially is a lot. But the years of maintenance that they don't make a return on, that's what is unappealing probably to the powers-that-be.

The problem is that initially NJT looked at the running to Andover as the first step to running trains over the entire cutoff. Now that this is off the table, they don't know what to do. I doubt anyone in the organization is thrilled about running trains over a stub line with no end yard and a small passenger base. Trying to explain that budget to the higher ups in the state can't be an easy thing to do.

SecaucusJct-NJT does not decide where to build, they are a quasi-government agency. The North Jersey Transportation Authority is the one with Sussex County that is pushing for the new station in Andover. NJT can drag its feet only so much. Like I said before they don't want to maintain the line after its built since that $ will have to be added into the budget.
Andover will get built since the $$ was already allotted and NJT is only contracted out to do the work/operate it.
Montclair is the classic case of NJT being twisted around like a pretzel and NJT does what they are told.
Montclair-1997-No WEEKEND SERVICE---NJT=OK
Montclair 2010-WE want weekend service---NJT-UMMM we don't have the $$-----Ok, we will run to Bay St on weekends.
If there is enough pressure, NJT will bend

mtuandrew wrote: Any of us could lay rail, with more or less mechanical assistance.

Really?

Tommy Meehan wrote:

mtuandrew wrote: Any of us could lay rail, with more or less mechanical assistance.

Really?

ha! i've seen guys show up for there first day of work in track and we never see 'em again after they clock out.

jtaeffner wrote:

Tommy Meehan wrote:

mtuandrew wrote: Any of us could lay rail, with more or less mechanical assistance.

Really?

ha! i've seen guys show up for there first day of work in track and we never see 'em again after they clock out.

I said could, not would I also didn't say how well it would get done