On Friday, April 17, 2015 at 10:02:22 PM UTC-4, Michael Finfer wrote:


[CSX/SEPTA West Trenton line separation]
> At least separating the freights onto their own single track railroad 
> will benefit the passenger operation.

I doubt it.

First, I heard gossip that the freights will run on the north side (on the new
track now being built), even though the freight track comes up from the south
side.  _If_ this is true, there will be contention as the freights cross over
the psgr tracks.  
Hopefully, they'll keep freights on the south side, though this will mean the
extra cost of adding catenary for the new third track.

Secondly, I think the third track will end short (west) of the Yardley
station.  The bridges over Main St, River Road and the Delaware River in
Yardley will not be widened for a third track.  So, freights will still share
the trackage between Yardley and 
West Trenton, including the two stations, and that presents opportunities for
contention.  

In any event, there will remain contention with movements in and out of the
SEPTA yard at West Trenton.

I also heard gossip--and I really hope this is false--that from Yardley to
West Trenton the two tracks will be split--one for SEPTA, one for CSX.  This
will adversely impact operations in the rush hour, especially when trains run
late.  In addition, if 
true, it will reduce scheduling flexibility.  Right now, many weekday trains
pass each other near Yardley.

SEPTA communications* do not lead to passenger confidence.  There are plenty
of times that passengers are directed by loudspeaker to cross to the other
platform, only to discover the train arrives on its regular track, and they
must go back.  Other times 
there is no announcement and the train arrives on the wrong track, forcing
passengers to rush hour.  In both cases the train is delayed and passengers
are unnecessarily inconvenienced and stressed.

Would anyone know if actual plans have been published anywhere?  AFAIK, they
never bothered to hold public hearings on this project and no plans have been
released.


* NJ Transit communications aren't any more reliable.  At Princeton Jct, they
announce trains are delayed when they are on-time, and fail to announce
delayed trains or the degree of delay.  Sometimes an inbound train will fail
to wait for passengers 
coming up the steps from the Dinky shuttle (the Dinky apparently is not
operationally coordinated with the maineline; I guess radios are beyond
them).  In Penn Central days, the ticket agent could telephone someone and
find out train status, today, 
ticket agents refuse to do so.  

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