MORE CAPACITY, EXPRESS SERVICE WITH TIMETABLE CHANGE
Four express trains to replace discontinued Amtrak Clockers; More frequent service at stations from Jersey Ave. to Metropark; Weekend "Holiday Express" service on the NEC and M&E lines
October 12, 2005
NEWARK, NJ ¿ Customers on the Northeast Corridor will find more frequent peak-period service and more seating capacity as a result of a new timetable that takes effect October 30. The new rail schedule adds four express trains to replace Amtrak Clocker trains and provides more service at several fast-growing Northeast Corridor stations.
In addition, NJ TRANSIT will add 16 "Holiday Express" trains on the Northeast Corridor and Morris & Essex Lines, introduce weekend service at Plauderville Station and add a new early morning train from Montclair.
On the Northeast Corridor, most train departure times will change by a couple of minutes to enable NJ TRANSIT to add trains during the busy morning and evening peak periods. In the morning, NJ TRANSIT will add five trains¿including two express trains to replace discontinued Amtrak Clocker service¿contributing to an additional 3,000 peak-period seats for New York-bound services. Two additional trains will be offered in the evening.
NJ TRANSIT express trains to replace discontinued Amtrak Clockers
Beginning Monday, October 31, NJ TRANSIT will add four express trains to provide replacement service for Amtrak Clockers, which will be discontinued on October 28. The NJ TRANSIT express trains will offer more seating capacity than the Clockers, and will add a station stop at Hamilton, providing customers there with even more express options. Unlike Clockers, the new trains will accept NJ TRANSIT single-trip tickets, in addition to NJ TRANSIT weekly and monthly passes. Clocker customers are advised to check the new schedule carefully for the NJ TRANSIT train that best fits their needs.
More frequent service at "middle-zone" stations
NJ TRANSIT will make significant schedule adjustments to provide more frequent service and more capacity at some of the system¿s busiest stations. The "middle-zone" of the Northeast Corridor¿Jersey Avenue, New Brunswick, Edison, Metuchen and Metropark¿accounts for approximately 20,000 boardings per day and is the heaviest segment of the busy Northeast Corridor. Customers boarding at these stations will find more peak-period trains to accommodate increased ridership demand.
The average interval between trains during the peak period for middle zone customers will be reduced from 20 minutes to 12 minutes at Edison, Metuchen and Metropark and from 17 minutes to 12 minutes at New Brunswick. At Jersey Avenue, where customers currently have departures spaced an average of 30 minutes apart, the new schedule will offer departures at 22-minute intervals.
Each of the five middle-zone stations will also see a net increase in the number of trains¿three more trains at Jersey Avenue, five more trains at New Brunswick, and four more trains at Edison, Metuchen and Metropark.
Weekend "Holiday Express" trains added on Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor rail customers will also receive enhanced weekend service this holiday season, as the eight "Holiday Express" trains to and from New York introduced last year on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays return this season, with a new stop in Metropark in each direction. The trains shave 10-15 minutes off the regular (local) travel time.
- In the morning, Holiday Express trains will depart Trenton at 8:23 a.m., 9:23 a.m., 10:23 a.m. and 11:23 a.m. The trains will run express from New Brunswick to Metropark, and from Metropark to Newark Airport, making stops at Newark Penn Station and Secaucus Junction before arriving in New York.
For return trips, Holiday Express trains will depart New York at 4:09 p.m., 5:09 p.m., 6:09 p.m. and 7:09 p.m., stopping at Newark Penn Station and Newark Airport before expressing to Metropark and New Brunswick, followed by all westbound stops to Trenton.
Weekend "Holiday Express" trains added on Morris & Essex Lines
NJ TRANSIT will also offer weekend Holiday Express trains on the Morris & Essex Lines that shave about 18 minutes off the typical weekend Dover-New York trip:
- New York-bound Holiday Express trains will depart Dover at 8:36 a.m., 9:36 a.m., 10:36 a.m. and 11:36 a.m. and arrive in New York at 48 minutes after the hour, beginning at 9:48 a.m. Each train will make local stops from Dover to Summit, then operate express to Newark Broad Street and New York.
In the evening, Holiday Express trains will depart New York at 4:03 p.m., 5:03 p.m., 6:03 p.m. and 7:03 p.m., stopping at Newark Broad Street and operating express to Summit before making all stops to Dover.
Montclair-Boonton Line
NJ TRANSIT will add a new early morning MidTOWN DIRECT train to its Montclair-Boonton Line service:
- New train 6200 will depart Montclair State University Station at Little Falls at 4:57 a.m. and make stops at Walnut Street, Bay Street, Bloomfield, and Newark Broad Street before arriving in New York at 5:40 a.m. Hoboken-bound customers may connect at Newark Broad Street to train 602, arriving in Hoboken at 5:43 a.m.
- To accommodate this new train, current trains 6200 and 6202 will be renumbered 6202 and 6204, respectively.
New weekend service at Plauderville Station on the Bergen County Line
NJ TRANSIT will now offer weekend service to and from Plauderville Station on 32 Bergen County Line trains.
IMPORTANT CUSTOMER NOTE
To accommodate the improvements that take effect October 30, train schedules have been adjusted throughout the day. Customers should carefully check new timetables, which are available at major stations and online at www.njtransit.com, for changes that may affect their travel patterns. Customers with questions may call NJ TRANSIT at 1-800-772-2222.
NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 800,000 daily trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 162 rail stations, 52 light rail stations and more than 17,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.