(The following article by Joe Malinconico was posted on the Star-Ledger website on January 15.)
NEWARK, N.J. — Riders on NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor trains can expect some changes in their morning rail schedules next month, officials announced yesterday.
Three morning rush-hour trains will be adding or dropping station stops from their routes, while one new train will be added to the schedule.
The agency also has made an agreement with federal and Pennsylvania railroad officials to help commuters into Trenton make connections on trains into Philadelphia.
NJ Transit just put out new schedules on Dec. 15, largely to accommodate the weekday operation of the massive new Secaucus Junction station. Some of the changes being proposed for the schedules that will go into effect Feb. 15 are designed to address problems that arose after Dec. 15.
“We are constantly monitoring the schedules,” said NJ Transit spokeswoman Penny Basset Hackett. “These revisions were based on comments that we’ve heard from our customers.”
Starting in mid-February, train No. 3815, which leaves New York at 6:01 a.m., will be sent to the same Trenton Station platform as a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority train, which will help passengers heading into Philadelphia.
Commuters had been missing their transfer and getting to work late as a result.
The new train, No. 3830, will leave Trenton at 8:07 a.m. and make all local stops on the way to New York. It is designed to fill gaps in the schedules for commuters from stations like Rahway and Elizabeth.
Other changes include:
* Train No. 3920, which leaves Trenton at 6:43 a.m., will begin stopping at Secaucus Junction to pick up New York-bound passengers from the Bergen and Main lines.
* Train No. 3928, which leaves Trenton at 7:49 a.m., will add a stop in New Brunswick. Commuters from New Brunswick complained after the rail schedules trimmed some stops there.
* Train No. 3710, which leaves Jersey Avenue station in North Brunswick at 8:14 a.m., will discontinue its stops at Rahway, Linden and Elizabeth.