PATH long-term weekend service change

Thomas wrote:Direct PATH service between Newark Penn Station and Midtown, Manhattan, will probably not occur because NJ Transit does not want this type of service competing with their direct train service between Newark Penn Station and Penn Station.

Somehow, I doubt NJT would be losing sleep over losing a few passengers using PATH instead of their service.

It is not as efficient going from NWK to 33rd on the PATH as it is on NJT where you have a straight shot into Midtown (with SEC in the way). As ExCon mentioned, most people who transfer to the PATH are going to WTC as PATH is faster going to Lower Manhattan, vs taking NJT to Midtown then hopping on a subway back downtown.

Direct NWK-33rd service did operate from 9/11/01 to the reopening of Exchange Place on 6/29/03.

This temporary service is awful (though perhaps it was this bad before and I didn't notice). Take a look at this trip:

33rd St: 1:35
HOB: 1:52
Arrive JSQ: 2:02
Depart JSQ: 2:26
NWK: 2:40

I've done this once, after missing the 1:22a train out of NYP. 24 minutes of sitting at JSQ, for a shuttle train? What on earth is the purpose of that? The train could practically be there and back in that time (and in fact, the next 33rd via HOB train arrives while you're sitting on the shuttle).

It's also obnoxious if you're going between Grove St and Newark, and I have no idea how you get to Exchange Place if you're coming from Newark. I guess light rail from Hoboken or the bus? I'd consider using that ferry service otherwise, but there's no convenient way to do it.

ryanov wrote:It's also obnoxious if you're going between Grove St and Newark, and I have no idea how you get to Exchange Place if you're coming from Newark. I guess light rail from Hoboken or the bus? I'd consider using that ferry service otherwise, but there's no convenient way to do it.

Light rail from Newport would be the best bet. And NJT's honoring Smartlink and MetroCards between HOB/NPT/EXP on the rare chance you see a fare inspector.

lirr42 wrote:Since it has not yet been stated on these forums, you may or may not be aware that beginning this weekend, PATH will not be operating to World Trade Center or Exchange Place for most weekends into 2015. They still for some reason think that running trains from NWK to JSQ then requiring passengers to transfer there to a train that has to change directions in Hoboken is a good idea. They are adding an enormous amount of travel time to the riders who want to come from Newark or Harrison, as that transfer in Journal Square, while "across the platform" is not very speedy.

I would argue that running trains from NWK-33RD and HOB-33RD during the outages would be best, since it would speed things up for everyone during the outage.

Word is that next year PATH will be closing the upper Hudson Tubes (and thus service from NJ to Sixth Avenue) for a similar period of time. Who knows what ridiculous plan they're going to concoct for those weekends.

Does anyone know why the PATH is not running to Exchange Place during the outage? After 9/11 the PA spent millions of dollars to allow Exchange Place to operate as a terminal station before the (temporary) World Trade Center station was opened.

Exchange Place was indeed a temporary terminal from 6/29/03 to resumption of rail service at the WTC on 11/23/03.

zerovanity59 wrote: Does anyone know why the PATH is not running to Exchange Place during the outage? After 9/11 the PA spent millions of dollars to allow Exchange Place to operate as a terminal station before the (temporary) World Trade Center station was opened.

From what I understand, the signal and related work involves the area near the Exchange Place station so they need to have the power off on both tracks.

Allan wrote:

zerovanity59 wrote: Does anyone know why the PATH is not running to Exchange Place during the outage? After 9/11 the PA spent millions of dollars to allow Exchange Place to operate as a terminal station before the (temporary) World Trade Center station was opened.

From what I understand, the signal and related work involves the area near the Exchange Place station so they need to have the power off on both tracks.

Yesterday, they also had single tracking around Grove street, "33-JSQ(HOB) stops in EXPL for turnaround due to single tracking at Grove St. EXPL will stay closed. Allow extra time."

Why would they need to have EXPL closed, when they are clearly running trains there?