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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Two NJ Transit Rail Lines Face Months of Disruption

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Traffic and transit in New Jersey is about to get out of hand. Beginning September 5 and lasting into “early 2019,” the entire 60-mile Atlantic City rail line is being shut down. The railroad deviations are being made in an effort to comply with a safety system known as Positive Train Control, as per NJ.com. The federal mandate says railroads absolutely must have installed these safety systems by December 31, 2018. PTC is the use of a network of computers to stop a train if the operator disregards speed limits or signals. Failure to comply with the measures by the deadline, could result in fines or the banning of an agency’s commuter trains from using Amtrak’s tracks. So, the NJ Transit is up against time to complete the installation of the PTC equipment, qualifying it to apply for a two-year extension from the Federal Railroad Administration.

To make matters worse for commuters, beginning September 10 Raritan Valley Line riders will lose their direct service to and from New York. This change to the NJ Transit rail will force commuters to go up and down to cross the concourse in an effort to catch connecting trains to their destinations.

Commuters displaced from the Atlantic city rail are being offered bus options, as well as a 25 percent ticket discount and their tickets will be honored on some buses and PATCO trains to and from Philadelphia. Following substantial complaints from commuters, in late August the NJ Transit expanded the 25 percent discount to include all ACRL tickets and passes with a Philadelphia destination or origin.

A full station by station listing of alternative bus services is available on NJ Transit’s website.

Another option available to commuters will of course be driving. However, traffic is sure to be a problem. As reported by NJ.com, car and bus commuters who use Route 495 to and from the Lincoln Tunnel will be in for a traffic nightmare that will foreshadow the traffic for the next two and a half years during a viaduct rebuilding project which closed two lanes in August.

New Jersey commuters, along with state legislators and business people, have been dreading and protesting the upcoming months of disruptions in transit. Mayors of 23 towns on the rail line formulated a written protest, to NJ Transit officials and lawmakers, lamenting the loss of direct Raritan Valley Line service. The Chamber SNJ held a Joint Transportation hearing so that legislators could pose questions about the four-or- more-months long suspension of the Atlantic City Rail Line. “This will have a significant impact on our region and the casino workers that use the Line regularly,” the chamber tweeted in August.

By: Ilana Siyance

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