NJ Transit Restores Northeast Corridor Rail Service from Trenton to NY

NJ TRANSIT restored rail service Wednesday morning on the busy Northeast Corridor from TrentonTransit Center to New York Penn Station, following a service suspension on a portion of the line between Trentonand New Brunswick due to damage caused by earlier flooding.  After being given the all clear from Amtrak to run test trains last night, NJ TRANSIT completed several successful test runs and determined that rail service to and from Trenton can operate today, August 31; however, customers are advised to expect 30-45 minute delays on the Northeast Corridor today due to ongoing signal problems caused by the flood in Trenton. 

As NJ TRANSIT continues to work toward restoring the State’s bus and rail network to normal operations in the wake of Hurricane Irene, some bus and rail customers will still experience delays and cancellations on their lines due to ongoing flooding and storm damage at locations across the system.  Customers are urged to checknjtransit.com for the latest service information before traveling. 

“Our goal is to bring the bus and rail system back to 100 percent as soon as possible, with the understanding that Mother Nature moves at her own pace,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein.  “I want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we work through the residual impacts of Hurricane Irene. And I want to thank NJ TRANSIT’s hard-working employees for continuing to give their all to get the job done.”

NJ TRANSIT is advising customers of the following:

Rail Service:

• Northeast Corridor:  Trains are operating between Trenton Transit Center and New York Penn Station, subject to 30-45 minute delays due to ongoing signal problems caused by the earlier flood in Trenton. Customers should check njtransit.com before traveling. 
• North Jersey Coast Line:  Trains are subject to 15-20 minute delays in both directions due to ongoing storm-related issues.  In addition, some 3500-series trains to/from South Amboy have been cancelled.
• Raritan Valley Line:  Most trains are operating, subject to minor delays; however, there is no rail service at Bound Brook Station due to flooding.  In addition, customers at Bridgewater and Somerville stations traveling inbound (toward Newark) must board trains from the outbound (toward Raritan) platform.
• Morris & Essex Lines:  Trains are operating on a regular weekday schedule.    
• Main/Bergen County Line:  Trains are operating on a regular weekday schedule.  Customers who normally transfer at Secaucus for service to New York are advised to stay on the train to Hoboken to connect with PATH at no additional charge.    
• Port Jervis Line:  Rail service will remain suspended until further notice due to flooding and storm damage between Suffern and Harriman.

o        Alternate Service Plan for Port Jervis Customers: Metro-North, working with Orange County, is busing to/from Harriman Station and Ramsey/Route 17. Buses will follow the train schedule.  Visitwww.mta.info/mnr for more information. 

• Montclair-Boonton Line:  Trains are operating on a regular weekday schedule between Hoboken/New York and Montclair State University Station at Little Falls.  Service is suspended between Little Falls andMountain Lakes until further notice due to flooding.  As a result, the following trains will not operate via the Montclair-Boonton Line:  1006, 1074, 1001, 1003, 1005, 1009, 1081, 1011, 1085, 1087 and 1061.
• Pascack Valley Lines:  Trains are operating on a regular weekday schedule.  Customers who normally transfer at Secaucus for service to New York are advised to stay on the train to Hoboken to connect with PATH at no additional charge.        
• Atlantic City Rail Line:  Trains are operating on a regular weekday schedule.

Bus Service:

• Bus service is operating on a regular weekday schedule.
• Routes may be subject to delays, detours or cancellations due to local flooding.  For a complete listing of affected routes, visit njtransit.com.
• Bus service to/from Willowbrook Mall, Mothers Park/Ride and Route 23 Transit Center in Wayne is suspended due to flooding.  Additional buses will operate from Allwood Road Park/Ride in Clifton in an effort to accommodate customers.
• The Market Street Garage in Paterson has been evacuated because of flooding. As a result, 135 buses have been relocated to the Garden State Plaza. The following routes will experience significant delays due to flooding and heavy traffic:  Nos. 72, 74, 145, 148, 160, 164 - Saddle River Express only, 171, 175, 178, 182, 703, 704, 712 and 770.
• Five bus routes in Passaic County remain suspended due to flooding along the Route 23 corridor: Nos. 191, 193, 194, 196 and 324.
• Twenty-four bus routes in North Jersey and eight routes in South Jersey are subject to significant detours or truncated service.

Light Rail Service:

• Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and Newark Light Rail will operate on a regular weekday schedule.
• River Line will continue to operate on a weekend schedule through Wednesday. 

Access Link:

• Access Link Paratransit Service will operate trips as scheduled. 

Systemwide Cross-Honoring in Effect:

To give customers additional travel options, NJ TRANSIT is offering systemwide cross-honoring, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode – rail, bus or light rail, PATH and private carrier buses.

Important Travel Information:

• Before starting your trip, visit njtransit.com for up-to-the-minute service information. This information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555 or from broadcast traffic reports.
• Allow plenty of extra time travel time.  Delays and service changes are possible.
• Listen closely to public address announcements at stations for late-breaking service information.