Improving New York's Regional Rail System

1. Regional Rail Pascack Valley What is Missing? Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven New York needs a real regional rail system. Today it has three separate commuter railroads and an intercity railroad – not a coordinated system. Empire Port Morris Regional rail would connect the three commuter railways such that they provide trips between more places, rather than primarily trips to Midtown Manhattan. NEC Hudson Yards Secaucus East Side Access Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn LIRR LIRR This has been done in other cities – famously Paris but, a closer example is Philadelphia. Hoboken Newark NEC Raritan NJ Coast NJ Transit LIRR Regional rail would run through Manhattan connecting places in New Jersey, Westchester, and Long Island. It would have coordinated schedules. It would have frequent service. It would have a common fare system -- Jamaica LIRR Atlantic Metro-North 10 Apr 18

2. Regional Rail Pascack Valley Trunk Line Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven There is consensus that the trunk line for regional rail in New York passes through Penn Station. Two more tracks under the Hudson Through running Empire Port Morris There is consensus that the trunk line immediately needs four rather than two tracks under the Hudson River. NEC Hudson Yards There is consensus that through running at Penn Station is basic to regional rail and would increase the capacity of the existing station. Secaucus East Side Access Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn LIRR Hoboken Newark NEC Raritan NJ Coast New LIC station The heart of the trunk line There is consensus that a Long Island City station should be added in the Sunnyside Yards. LIRR Jamaica LIRR On the other hand, what should be the alignments of the trunk west and east of Penn Station? There are at least three views on this. Following a description of what exists are the recommendations of the Regional Plan Association, ReThinkNYC, and the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility. -- Atlantic 3 Dec 17

3. Regional Rail Pascack Valley Amtrak Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven The North East Corridor (NEC) line, between Washington DC and Boston serves Penn Station. Amtrak provides several services some of which travel through NYC and some of which originate or terminate at Penn Station. Empire Port Morris NEC In addition to service on the NEC, Amtrak also runs trains on the Empire line to Albany which terminates at Penn Station. Hudson Yards Secaucus East Side Access Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn LIRR Hoboken Newark NEC Raritan NJ Coast In NYC Amtrak stores and services its trains in the Sunnyside Yards. LIRR Jamaica LIRR Grand Central only serves commuter lines. (Although Empire service can be relocated there when necessary to allow track work at Penn Station.) -- Atlantic 2 Dec 17

4. Regional Rail Pascack Valley LIRR Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven The LIRR serves Penn Station through Sunnyside Yards in Long Island City. Trains either reverse from Penn Station to return east or are stored in the Hudson Yards during the day, They do not run through to New Jersey. Empire Port Morris NEC Some LIRR service, through Jamaica, terminates at Atlantic Terminal. Hudson Yards Secaucus East Side Access Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn LIRR In the future East Side Access will bring some LIRR service to Grand Central, although to a separate terminal several stories below and unconnected by tracks to the existing Grand Central. -- Hoboken Newark NEC Raritan NJ Coast LIRR Jamaica LIRR Atlantic 2 Dec 17

5. Regional Rail Pascack Valley Metro-North Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven Metro-North serves Grand Central. All trains terminate at Grand Central and either are reversed or are stored during the day. Empire Port Morris There are studies of providing west side access by connecting some service from the Hudson Line to Penn Station via the Empire line and from the New Haven Line to Penn Station via the Hell Gate Bridge of the NEC. NEC Hudson Yards Secaucus East Side Access Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn LIRR Hoboken Newark NEC Raritan NJ Coast A more direct way of providing access to the west side for Metro-North would be a track connection between Grand Central and Penn Station. -- LIRR Jamaica LIRR Atlantic 2 Dec 17

6. Regional Rail Pascack Valley NJ Transit Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven NJ Transit serves Penn Station via the NEC and Secaucus; however, some service terminates in Hoboken. Empire Trains to Hoboken are either reversed or stored at Hoboken during the day. Trains to Penn Station are either reversed in Penn Station or stored in Sunnyside Yards during the day. Port Morris NEC Hudson Yards Secaucus East Side Access Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn LIRR Hoboken Newark Since NJ Transit trains already continue from Penn Station to Sunnyside Yards for storage during the day it should be easy to provide revenue service to a station serving Long Island City. NEC Raritan NJ Coast LIRR Jamaica LIRR Atlantic East side access could be provided for NJ Transit by a track connection between Penn Station and Grand Central. -- 2 Dec 17

7. Regional Rail Pascack Valley Capacity Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven There seems to be consensus that the existing two tracks under the Hudson River are not adequate and that at least two more tracks should be added immediately. Empire Port Morris The alignment (in red) that has been proposed for the new pair of tracks and their tunnels parallels the existing NEC and requires a loop at Secaucus for NJ Transit service from the north. NEC Hudson Yards Secaucus East Side Access Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn LIRR Hoboken Newark NEC Raritan NJ Coast An alternative alignment (in orange) would use existing tracks to Hoboken and would tunnel diagonally under the Hudson. This avoids the loop at Secaucus and the widening of the NEC between just east of Newark and the portal of the tunnel under the Hudson River. The tunneling between Hoboken/Jersey City and Penn Station and the NEC portal and Penn Station is roughly equivalent -- LIRR Jamaica LIRR Atlantic 2 Dec 17

8. Regional Rail Pascack Valley Through Running Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven Currently Amtrak runs trains through Penn Station in revenue service, particularly Regional and Acela trains. Empire Port Morris LIRR currently runs many of its trains through Penn Station to the Hudson Yard where they can be stored or reversed; others remain in revenue service and are reversed in the station. NEC Hudson Yards Secaucus East Side Access Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn LIRR NJ Transit currently runs many of its trains through Penn Station to Sunnyside Yard where they can be stored or looped back to Penn Station; others remain in revenue service and are reversed in Penn Station. The four southernmost tracks in Penn Station dead end and require trains to be reversed. Hoboken Newark NEC Raritan NJ Coast LIRR Jamaica LIRR Atlantic Since NJ Transit trains already continue from Penn Station to Sunnyside Yards for storage during the day it should be easy to provide revenue service to the planned station serving Long Island City. -- 2 Dec 17

9. Regional Rail Pascack Valley Trunk -- RPA Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven Regional Plan proposes to focus through running on a trunk line through Penn Station between Secaucus and Sunnyside. Rail branches would occur to the east of Sunnyside and west of Secaucus Empire Port Morris NEC RPA adopts the routing of the new pair of tracks under the Hudson River by way of Secaucus and the loop at Secaucus to connect NJ Transit routes from the north to Penn Station. Hudson Yards Secaucus East Side Access Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn LIRR Hoboken Newark NEC Raritan NJ Coast LIRR RPA believes that Penn Station needs to be extended south to add capacity; it also believes that the southern extension should be connected to Sunnyside with a new pair of tunnels under the East River. -- Jamaica LIRR Atlantic 2 Dec 17

10. Regional Rail Pascack Valley Trunk -- ReThinkNYC Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven ReThink proposes to focus through running on a trunk line through Penn Station between Secaucus and Sunnyside. Rail branches would occur to the east of Sunnyside and west of Secaucus. New Jersey bus transfers to rail would be focused at Secaucus. Empire Port Morris NEC Hudson Yards Secaucus East Side Access ReThink adopts the routing of the new pair of tracks under the Hudson River by way of Secaucus and the loop at Secaucus to connect NJ Transit routes from the north to Penn Station. Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn LIRR Hoboken Newark NEC Raritan NJ Coast LIRR ReThink adds a pair of tracks in the South Bronx to bring some Metro-North trains to Penn Station. Jamaica LIRR Atlantic ReThink does not believe that Penn Station needs to be extended south to add capacity; it believes that wider platforms and better circulation between platforms and concourses combined with through running can produce adequate capacity within the existing station. -- 2 Dec 17

11. Regional Rail Pascack Valley Trunk – IRUM RRWG Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven IRUM’s trunk line would branch east and west of Penn Station. To the east a track connection between Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal would allow east side access for Amtrak, NJ Transit, and west side access for Metro-North. Empire Port Morris NEC Hudson Yards To the west the second pair of tracks under the Hudson River would be routed by way of Jersey City/Hoboken to more efficiently use existing rail infrastructure and coordinate transit and land use planning. Secaucus East Side Access Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn LIRR Hoboken Newark NEC Raritan NJ Coast LIRR IRUM does not believe that Penn Station needs to be extended south to add capacity; it believes that wider platforms and better circulation between platforms and concourses combined with through running can produce adequate capacity within the existing station. -- Jamaica LIRR Atlantic 2 Dec 17

12. Regional Rail Pascack Valley Menu Hudson Bergen Main NEC Harlem & New Haven A New track and Hudson River tunnels via Secaucus. B New station and Hudson River tunnels via Hoboken/Jersey City. Empire G Port Morris A C Expansion of Penn Station to the south. NEC Hudson Yards Secaucus D East Side Access D Track connection to Grand Central. Sunnyside Yards Montclair-Boonton Morristown Gladstone Grand Central Penn C F LIRR B E E New track and East River tunnels to Sunnyside Yards. Hoboken Newark NEC Raritan NJ Coast F New station in Long Island City. LIRR Jamaica G Metro-North connection via Hell Gate. -- LIRR Atlantic 16 Mar 18