(The following report by Larry Higgs appeared on the Asbury Park Press website on December 29.)
ASBURY PARK, N.J. — NJ Transit will offer “early getaway” rail and bus service on Friday for riders leaving work early for the New Year’s holiday and additional bus and train service for those welcoming in 2006.
NJ Transit will offer 33 extra train departures and additional bus service, including additional late night service on nine of the system’s 11 commuter rail lines for New Year’s revelers.
Extra NJ Transit bus service will operate from the Port Authority Bus Terminal on more than two dozen lines until 5:30 a.m.
In addition to regularly scheduled trains, NJ Transit will offer extra service on New Year’s Eve and the early morning hours of New Year’s Day as follows:
On the North Jersey Coast Line, an extra train will depart Long Branch at 6:59 p.m. The train will make all stops going into Woodbridge, then go nonstop into Newark Penn Station before making final stops in Secaucus and New York.
Two extra Coast Line trains will depart New York at 2 a.m. and 4:20 a.m., and make all stops to Long Branch, except North Elizabeth and Woodbridge. For customers traveling beyond Long Branch, connecting shuttle bus service to all stations through Bay Head will be available from Long Branch.
At the conclusion of the extra overnight service, all NJ Transit trains will operate on a weekend schedule on New Year’s Day. Riders should check timetables for specific information. Trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule on Jan. 2, with enhanced service on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Lines.
Extra bus service will run from the Port Authority Bus Terminal until 5:30 a.m. On New Year’s Eve, NJ Transit will provide regularly scheduled bus service to Port Authority from the Allwood, Howell and Old Bridge Park & Ride facilities. Additional service to New York will be operated on the 126 Hoboken-New York line every 15-30 minutes until 4 a.m.
After midnight, NJ Transit will offer extra New Jersey-bound bus service on more than two dozen lines from the Port Authority until 5:30 a.m. During that time, all service will depart from the Upper Bus Level and North Wing Gates. After that, all NJ Transit bus routes will operate on a Sunday schedule on New Year’s Day.
For more information about NJ Transit schedules or fares, log on to www.njtransit.com or call (800) 772-2222.