NJ Transit reduces Raritan Valley Line Sunday service
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
hours.
They suggested this was done to make trains available for when they're
most needed, such as Mon-Fri peak periods. I don't understand that
since this is Sunday service.
For full article See:
http://www.nj.com/record/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1216413029266840.xml&coll=17
I don't know what the ridership counts are for Sunday morning.
Overall ridership is up.
Laurence Sheldon
> They suggested this was done to make trains available for when they're
> most needed, such as Mon-Fri peak periods. I don't understand that
> since this is Sunday service.
How many trains are on the move at a time? Do they have problem with
too many "overnight" on the wrong end Sunday night?
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Bolwerk
Could it just be a fuel-saving measure? If not many people are riding
Sunday morning, it would make sense maybe.
Merritt Mullen
<737b201d-aa53-4a67...@59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>,
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> NJT announced Sunday morning service will be reduced to every two
> hours.
>
> They suggested this was done to make trains available for when they're
> most needed, such as Mon-Fri peak periods. I don't understand that
> since this is Sunday service.
Probably so more cars are available for required servicing on week ends.
Merritt
Michael Finfer
There are people at NJT who seem to have the fantasy that if you allow
equipment to sit in Raritan yard over the weekend instead of running it,
it will be more likely to be available on Monday.
This sort of stuff seems to me to have started with George Warrington
who had some sort of objection to off peak rail service. This and the
dual mode locomotives have, unfortunately, survived him.
Michael Finfer
Bridgewater, NJ
Michael Finfer
> hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>
>> They suggested this was done to make trains available for when they're
>> most needed, such as Mon-Fri peak periods. I don't understand that
>> since this is Sunday service.
>
> How many trains are on the move at a time? Do they have problem with
> too many "overnight" on the wrong end Sunday night?
>
In hourly service on the weekend, there are three train sets in service,
down from the four required when service was provided to Hoboken. From
what I've seen, they are still using four crews, which makes sense
because that's the only way they would get a lunch break between runs.
With only three sets of equipment running, quick turns need to be made
between runs on both ends.
Michael Finfer
Bridgewater, NJ
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> There are people at NJT who seem to have the fantasy that if you allow
> equipment to sit in Raritan yard over the weekend instead of running it,
> it will be more likely to be available on Monday.
>
> This sort of stuff seems to me to have started with George Warrington
> who had some sort of objection to off peak rail service. This and the
> dual mode locomotives have, unfortunately, survived him.
What is peculiar about this service cut is exactly how many train sets
and crews would be saved. Perhaps it is only one crew work day,
though even that seems questionable.
Also unknown are the number of people affected. NJT claims very people
ride those trains, but exactly what is "very few"? (Admittedly, on my
Sunday visits to the RVL I didn't see many riders, but my experiences
on that route are limited).
Further, those riders may not choose the train at all and NJT will
lose on round trip revenue.
Michael Finfer
> What is peculiar about this service cut is exactly how many train sets
> and crews would be saved. Perhaps it is only one crew work day,
> though even that seems questionable.
Each crew makes two round trips on the weekend. Just look at the
timetable and follow the equipment. They use three train sets and four
crews (to allow for a lunch hour) in the current weekend service
pattern. So, with three round trips withdrawn, they would save salary,
benefits, and payroll taxes on 1.5 crew shifts plus fuel.
> Also unknown are the number of people affected. NJT claims very people
> ride those trains, but exactly what is "very few"? (Admittedly, on my
> Sunday visits to the RVL I didn't see many riders, but my experiences
> on that route are limited).
I ride train 5514, the 10:18 out of Raritan, on Sundays about 10 times
per year, May-Sept., and it seems fairly busy to me. At least that late
in the morning, the story of low ridership is nonsense. It is true that
when those trains went to Hoboken, a couple of dozen passengers east of
Newark was a lot, but there was no other direct way to do that trip. On
train 5514 between Raritan and Newark, there are many more passengers
than that.
NJARP should have volunteers do passenger counts on those trains before
the cuts so we have independent ridership numbers.
Joe, do you need a volunteer?
> Further, those riders may not choose the train at all and NJT will
> lose on round trip revenue.
Exactly. And the so-called parallel bus service begins in Dunellen.
What about passengers in Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Somerville, and Raritan?
As far as I am concerned, because of where I live, I can easily switch
to the Gladstone Branch once the weekend construction is done, and the
fare from Far Hills is the same as from Raritan. It's just a few
minutes farther to the station for me.
Michael Finfer
Bridgewater, NJ
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> NJ-ARP has shown no interest in doing anything about it. I am not an
> NJ-ARP Director. As an individual, I have prodded the Bridgewtaer Town
> Council, the Raritan Valley Rail Coaltion, and Somerset County Boar each
> into passing resolutions opposing the cuts.
I am a NJARP member but I must admit I'm not sure what they do. The
newsletter seems to be mostly reprints from newspapers, not statements
of views from the members or officers. Unfortunately, as an all-
volunteer organization their resources are very limited; everyone has
a life outside the organization and that work takes up a great deal of
time and effort.
However, critics of rail expansion often are discretely well funded by
outside organizations with other agendas.
> I also had a letter published in the Courier News last Friday condemning
> the cuts and calling for NJT's break-up for being the inept, arrogant
> institutuion they have bceome and reform into a NY-MTA business model
> with more oversight. Either it should be done legislatively, or they
> should be de-funded and forced into bakruptcy.
No organization is perfect. In past discussions about NJT over the
years there was considerable disagreement over what it was doing
'wrong' and 'right'. What some people objected to, other people
thought was a good idea. (The difference in priorities and opinions
is a tough challenge groups like NJARP have to deal with.)
I'm not sure a NY-MTA business model would be any better. SEPTA is
forced to operate on a much leaner budget, but would that be better?
Adam H. Kerman
>>NJT announced Sunday morning service will be reduced to every two hours.
>>They suggested this was done to make trains available for when they're
>>most needed, such as Mon-Fri peak periods. I don't understand that
>>since this is Sunday service.
>Probably so more cars are available for required servicing on week ends.
It should be easy enough to rotate consists in and out of weekend
service should they need extra attention over a weekend.
Michael Finfer
The problem is, apparently, that train 5706 (now renumbered 2706) is
being extended to Hoboken (which seems pretty useless to me given the
time of day, a 5:11 AM departure from Raritan, and the fact that it is
impractical to run a return frequency in the evening), requiring an
extra train set and crew to run out of Raritan to cover train 5900 (now
renumbered 5420). This is being paid for, at least in part, by the
Sunday AM service cuts.
That's what is meant by improved weekday equipment availability.
Michael Finfer
Bridgewater, NJ