Newark Airport Improvement Plans

[Bonser]

I get free Amtrak rides from rewards points as I earned a lot of them so I can get business class rides without cost to me. I would have to pay out of pocket for Path and NJ Transit. Amtrak has a shorter direct route than NJ Transit and even the future Path route to Penn Station although it doesn’t run as many trains. Will someone use Path to get to Newark airport? Sure, especially budget travelers or people close to the Path network or where time schedules fit. More room on Amtrak and/or NJ Transit if users ride Path more so I see more access as a good thing.

Other airports are closer to me however, but Newark, La Guardia and JFK airport all allow for competition on domestic and international flights and that may include using one airport over another for airport specific delays, pricing, duration of flight and so on. As all three airports have improvements scheduled, they all should be good and help spread out traffic.

The Amtrak route and NJT's route to Penn Sta are exactly the same. And the proposed PATH route would parallel theirs.

 

[adamj023]

The Amtrak route and NJT's route to Penn Sta are exactly the same. And the proposed PATH route would parallel theirs.

Amtrak and NJ Transit are not the same route. NJ Transit pass through Secaucus, NJ also known as Secaucus Junction. Amtrak trains are a few minutes quicker and are on separate trackage. There is a map which shows the tracks side by side and I will link to it if I can find it again. Path is a different trackage altogether although there are connections at certain stations to connect between the different lines.

Penn station does share tracks inside Penn Station between NJ Transit and Amtrak on certain trains at times but I do not specifically know which lines. The Amtrak train is more direct and saves a few minutes of time. Amtrak owns their own more direct track to leave Penn Station for the Northeastern Regional and Keystone trains which have some which go to Newark Airport. All NJ Transit trains heading towards Newark Airport pass by Secaucus, NJ which is a slightly longer route. Amtrak does not own trackage in Secaucus, NJ nor share trackage with NJ Transit there. Amtrak is longer haul interstate routes so it goes from Penn Station to Newark Penn Station as its first stop south after Penn Station. NJ Transit actually connects inside NYC but all stops outside are just in NJ. PATH has multiple stations in NYC and NJ.

Found the map. https://nycmap360.com/nyc-airports-map. Amtrak and NJ Transit have different tunnels leaving Penn station.

From first glance the Path route from 33 street in NYC has a longer route, added stops and curves which will slow down the speed vs Amtrak which is the quickest route. It does serve added places, and has a cheaper cost however and a different schedule of service. It can be quicker on some routes perhaps if you are closer by the other PATH stations. I am comparing it to the 33 street station as opposed to Penn Station. Since the PATH was already built, it made sense to have an added connection to Newark Airport. Amtrak and NI Transit can modernize their systems to run faster and more trains to Newark Airport perhaps if such was warranted but having three separate routes is nice. JFK Airtrain has a linkage to the NYC Subway and LIRR and if the LGA project goes through, will also have a link to NYC Subway and LIRR. Newark Airport will have PATH, Amtrak and NJ Transit,

Apparently both the NJ Transit map and the map link I posted seem to not completely accurately represent the actual route, Most NJ transit trains add time and can connect in Secaucus adding time. Amtrak trains are all 21 or 22 minute ride from Penn Station. NJ North Coast line is 22 minutes and others are longer. There are a pair of tunnels I believe from Penn Station to New Jersey but Amtrak doesn’t stop at all at Secaucus, NJ and I am not sure how close the tracks get. It is true route is similar but not exactly the same and you can get the same 22 minutes on NJ Transit north coast line and 1 minute quicker on Amtrak at times and this could change in the future perhaps. I still would utilize a business class Amtrak seat however. Amtrak trains also have upgraded seats and wifi aboard trains and eventually will see new train sets.

Maps seem to inaccurately depict actual trackage and route and I was under assumption the map I saw was correct which makes it seem like Amtrak cuts time off the route and apparently, Amtrak gets to be the same or just one minute faster than the NJ North Coast line. If Gateway tunnels get built, times will improve further as well.

 

[MARC Rider]

Amtrak and NJ Transit are not the same route. NJ Transit pass through Secaucus, NJ also known as Secaucus Junction. Amtrak trains are a few minutes quicker and are on separate trackage. There is a map which shows the tracks side by side and I will link to it if I can find it again. Path is a different trackage altogether although there are connections at certain stations to connect between the different lines.

Penn station does share tracks inside Penn Station between NJ Transit and Amtrak on certain trains at times but I do not specifically know which lines. The Amtrak train is more direct and saves a few minutes of time. Amtrak owns their own more direct track to leave Penn Station for the Northeastern Regional and Keystone trains which have some which go to Newark Airport. All NJ Transit trains heading towards Newark Airport pass by Secaucus, NJ which is a slightly longer route. Amtrak does not own trackage in Secaucus, NJ nor share trackage with NJ Transit there. Amtrak is longer haul interstate routes so it goes from Penn Station to Newark Penn Station as its first stop south after Penn Station. NJ Transit actually connects inside NYC but all stops outside are just in NJ. PATH has multiple stations in NYC and NJ.

Found the map. https://nycmap360.com/nyc-airports-map. Amtrak and NJ Transit have different tunnels leaving Penn station.

From first glance the Path route from 33 street in NYC has a longer route, added stops and curves which will slow down the speed vs Amtrak which is the quickest route. It does serve added places, and has a cheaper cost however and a different schedule of service. It can be quicker on some routes perhaps if you are closer by the other PATH stations. I am comparing it to the 33 street station as opposed to Penn Station. Since the PATH was already built, it made sense to have an added connection to Newark Airport. Amtrak and NI Transit can modernize their systems to run faster and more trains to Newark Airport perhaps if such was warranted but having three separate routes is nice. JFK Airtrain has a linkage to the NYC Subway and LIRR and if the LGA project goes through, will also have a link to NYC Subway and LIRR. Newark Airport will have PATH, Amtrak and NJ Transit,

What are you talking about? Amtrak trains run through the Secaucus Jct. station, they just don't stop there. Its the exact same tracks.

 

[jis]

What are you talking about? Amtrak trains run through the Secaucus Jct. station, they just don't stop there. Its the exact same tracks.

Exactly. I got the impression that he is looking at one of those route diagrams and arriving at (erroneous) conclusions based on it and has zero knowledge of the actual geography and track layout in the NY area, specifically between EWR and NYP.