NJ Transit Adds 22 Weekday Trains and 14 Weekend Trains

See press release here: https://www.njtransit.com/press-release ... nal-trains

Happy to see this service added but I'm really surprised about the "matching schedules to ridership demands" bit. Trains are nowhere even remotely close to being full. I'm not even talking about matching pre-pademic levels, but just full, to the point of no empty seats.

That said, I probably would not feel comfortable taking the train if it required having someone sit directly next to me, so I'm glad that they are doing this. I just worry whether the finances will work out long term.

Who knows where we are in terms of how many daily trains there are now vs. pre-COVID?
And the same for total ridership?
JS

Seems like the last holdout from COVID service cuts are the NJCL trains to Hoboken via the Waterfront Connection. It's crazy that only one train per weekday (Morning RVL train) utilizes Waterfront.

Speaking of the Raritan Valley Line, until a few years ago I commuted daily to Newark from High Bridge and there were typically 40 or so cars in the High Bridge station parking lot. I've made a point of looking at the lot since Covid, mid-day, and there have been for a long time only 8 to 10 cars in the lot. Based on my observation, the ridership at High Bridge is only about 25 percent of pre-covid levels. Including yesterday's most recent observation.

Ken W2KB wrote:Speaking of the Raritan Valley Line, until a few years ago I commuted daily to Newark from High Bridge and there were typically 40 or so cars in the High Bridge station parking lot. I've made a point of looking at the lot since Covid, mid-day, and there have been for a long time only 8 to 10 cars in the lot. Based on my observation, the ridership at High Bridge is only about 25 percent of pre-covid levels. Including yesterday's most recent observation.

Obviously transit ridership is still down, although vehicle traffic is above pre-pandemic levels as those who are going into the City or North Jersey are driving instead of taking the train or bus. My own personal observation is similar to yours, from 2015 until this past February I commuted daily from Monmouth County into Lower Manhattan via Academy Bus. During most of the pandemic the park n ride I used on route 9 has been empty. Last week though I drove past a different park n ride, Howell, and the lot was probably 65% full. Much closer to normal than I have seen at any point since the pandemic started. And although Academy's route 9- Wall Street schedule is no where near where it was pre-pandemic, NJ Transit buses schedule seems to pretty robust and must be northwards of 75% or more of pre covid frequencies.

My observation is that there is a recovery going on, how long it will take to approach pre covid levels I can only speculate, but it is improving.

lensovet wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 12:06 pm Happy to see this service added but I'm really surprised about the "matching schedules to ridership demands" bit.

Its simply not true. Was just on a weekend train that was standing only. At Secaucus, they only let people off, not on.

NJT has done nothing to address the fact that travel patterns have changed. Theyre running service like its 2017.

the fact that weekend ridership has not dropped off as much as weekday ridership is true nationwide. that said, i took a weekday evening express from NYP to Trenton just a few weeks ago and there was no more than one party of people per bench seat on the Arrows. LIRR from NYP to Jamaica OTOH was more crowded. maybe there are occasional SRO trains…but a rush hour evening train having empty seats? that's what i saw.

look at Amtrak's own "fullness" numbers when booking tickets. some rush hour morning trains are not even 50% full between TRE and NYP.

pumpers wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 12:31 pm Who knows where we are in terms of how many daily trains there are now vs. pre-COVID?
JS

JS: Here's a thought: For any given NJT route take a timetable that was in effect before March 2020
- preferably from 2019 - and compare it with the June 2021 and new November 2021 levels of service by a
count of the numbers of trains in each direction on weekdays and on weekends.

Give NJT (and SEPTA RRD) credit for keeping printed timetables continuously available over the last 21 months.
For comparison the MTA (LIRR and MNCR) no longer prints timetables - PDFs only are posted...MACTRAXX

lensovet wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 12:06 pm Happy to see this service added but I'm really surprised about the "matching schedules to ridership demands" bit. Trains are nowhere even remotely close to being full. I'm not even talking about matching pre-pademic levels, but just full, to the point of no empty seats.

That said, I probably would not feel comfortable taking the train if it required having someone sit directly next to me, so I'm glad that they are doing this. I just worry whether the finances will work out long term.

I've been on many a rush hour train where riders had to sit next to strangers; many of NJT's NEC trains are running short and with the single-level equipment, which fills up fast. Depends on the day of the week and time, but the trains are far more crowded now than even a few months ago. Way more day-tripper tourists going in too.