Lackawanna Cutoff Passenger Service Restoration

I have to say, canceling the tunnel to Macy's Cellar was a good idea. It would end there, how would you connect it to the rest of the NEC?

Since NJT is part of the government, it is going to suffer; the government of NJ does not know how to handle money, as seen by how much they are behind in pension payments and how much they divert money to it. Not to mention the very popular rumors that NJT is pocketing a lot of the money they receive from the state.

I agreed that such an absurd project be cancelled - but that should have led into doing it the right way. Instead, Christie siphoned off the money into non-transit things. And he starved NJT so badly that they ended up way down on train and bus crew people. Yes, it's more complicated than that, but he did real harm.

Personally, it absolutely pains me when I look at how much railroads in other parts of the US, let alone the world have progressed when compared to how slow everything is here in New Jersey. I bet that the HBLR 8th street extension would’ve taken at least 2 decades had it not been planned earlier. The Andover extension, along with many other projects, should have been completed ages ago, and yet now it looks like they’re going to be finished when I’m either middle-aged or a senior.

I've been waiting since 1996 for LIRR East Side Access. Expected it about 2005. It MAY be finished this year, but I've heard zilch about testing (unlike Transport for London's Crossrail project, which gives frequent, detailed updates including testing). They are just now beginning to talk about implementation planning. It's not clear how open, if at all, they will be. Only good news is that the Third Track project is at least on time, but again, they are being very secretive about implementation planning.

MaRoFu wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 2:43 am Personally, it absolutely pains me when I look at how much railroads in other parts of the US, let alone the world have progressed when compared to how slow everything is here in New Jersey. I bet that the HBLR 8th street extension would’ve taken at least 2 decades had it not been planned earlier. The Andover extension, along with many other projects, should have been completed ages ago, and yet now it looks like they’re going to be finished when I’m either middle-aged or a senior.

I really wish they would just contract this stuff out or something.

Get real RR people to work on it. No nepotism, no show jobs, or politicians. Ok, I know, that's just a fantasy.

photobug56 wrote: ↑Thu May 19, 2022 12:06 am Get real RR people to work on it. No nepotism, no show jobs, or politicians. Ok, I know, that's just a fantasy.

Those days are long gone, once the gubmint decided it had to subsidize commuter trains. LbJ's Great Society turned out to be not so great.

Dcell wrote: ↑Thu May 19, 2022 1:59 pm

photobug56 wrote: ↑Thu May 19, 2022 12:06 am Get real RR people to work on it. No nepotism, no show jobs, or politicians. Ok, I know, that's just a fantasy.

Those days are long gone, once the gubmint decided it had to subsidize commuter trains. LbJ's Great Society turned out to be not so great.

Goes back further than that. Having the ICC be up the a** of the railroads, as well as the Interstate Act, was a bad idea.

Separate conversation, but finding a proper balance in gov regulation of RR's seems difficult.

On our current discussion, it's truly pitiful how mediocre NJT, MNCR and LIRR are. The metro NYC area needs far better. And when we do get good people, like Andy Byford, they get chewed up by politicians. IMHO, the only thing any of the 3 are good at is mediocrity.

photobug56 wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 12:23 am Separate conversation, but finding a proper balance in gov regulation of RR's seems difficult.

On our current discussion, it's truly pitiful how mediocre NJT, MNCR and LIRR are. The metro NYC area needs far better. And when we do get good people, like Andy Byford, they get chewed up by politicians. IMHO, the only thing any of the 3 are good at is mediocrity.

"look, he's making us look bad, by being good at his job. he must go."
-from governor who was then disgraced.

Construction starting in 2023? Contract officially awarded:
06/21/22 20-089X Final Design, Construction Services, and Commissioning for the Rehabilitation of the Roseville Tunnel and Associated Track Bed Work Schiavone Construction Co. LLC $ 32,410,490.00

Only 50 more years to go to get this all done!

So Schiavone got it as I expected back in January: post1590634.html#p1590634

MTA's most favored bidder, and also a Transit Museum corporate sponsor.

Lackawawwa WHY? NO money to be made. Even transit won't even come close to braking even. NJT does not belong in this line. The only money in this line is city-to-city.. AMTRAK.