Northern NJ to White Plains?

[jan]

Does anyone know if it's doable to take a train from Northern NJ to White Plains? I'm hoping to get a new job there and want to see if I can commute without driving.

 

[Monon81]

I suppose it depends on where in Northern NJ you're coming from.

Just for the academic exercise I plugged Newark Penn Station and White Plains into Google Maps and came up with the following options:

1. The one that's obvious to this midwesterner: NJ Transit to Penn Station, 7th Ave. Subway to Times Square, the Shuttle to Grand Central, and the Harlem Line to White Plains. (Google maps actually gave me the Q32 bus instead of the subway.)

2. PATH to World Trade Center, walk to Fulton Street, the 4 or 5 to Grand Central, and the Harlem Line to White Plains.

3. Amtrak Northeast Regional to Stamford, CT, and an express buss (I-bus) to White Plains.

There are a number of easterners on this forum who are more up on New York City commuting.

 

[AlanB]

It's doable, the question is does it make sense in terms of total transit time. If you're far enough north in northern NJ, it may just be easier to consider driving or perhaps a bus.

But I do agree with Monon, you're going to need to be a bit more specific about where in NNJ you are for us to be more helpful.

 

[Ocala Mike]

Well, here is something that could make your commute easier:

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/mta-considers-metro-north-at-penn-station-1.3505344

Ocala Mike

 

[afigg]

Well, here is something that could make your commute easier:

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/mta-considers-metro-north-at-penn-station-1.3505344

The idea of running Metro-North New Haven and Hudson Line trains to New York Penn Station has been in the proposal and planning stages for a long time. Would not happen until after the East Side Access project is completed and LIRR shifts some of their trains to Grand Central in 2016 or 2017 (or later). Would not help with getting to White Plains anyway because that is on the Harlem line.

This is an Amtrak forum. The question is about commuting from northern NJ to the White Plains area. The question would be better asked in a NYC region commuter and subway forum or sub-forum to explore all the possible options, most likely bus service. The various plans to run cross connecting Metro-North trains and/or Bus Rapid Transit across the replacement for the Tappan Zee bridge with BRT to White Plains are intended to address this problem of commuting from the Suffern, NY and northern NJ area to the greater White Plains area. But the Governor of NY is trying to move ahead on the Tappan Zee bridge replacement and drop the transit parts to cut costs.

 

[AlanB]

Well, here is something that could make your commute easier:

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/mta-considers-metro-north-at-penn-station-1.3505344

The idea of running Metro-North New Haven and Hudson Line trains to New York Penn Station has been in the proposal and planning stages for a long time. Would not happen until after the East Side Access project is completed and LIRR shifts some of their trains to Grand Central in 2016 or 2017 (or later). Would not help with getting to White Plains anyway because that is on the Harlem line.

This is an Amtrak forum. The question is about commuting from northern NJ to the White Plains area. The question would be better asked in a NYC region commuter and subway forum or sub-forum to explore all the possible options, most likely bus service. The various plans to run cross connecting Metro-North trains and/or Bus Rapid Transit across the replacement for the Tappan Zee bridge with BRT to White Plains are intended to address this problem of commuting from the Suffern, NY and northern NJ area to the greater White Plains area. But the Governor of NY is trying to move ahead on the Tappan Zee bridge replacement and drop the transit parts to cut costs.

Actually, New Haven line trains would come over the Hell Gate Bridge and approach NYP from the east. Harlem line trains would turn west at Mott Haven tower to join with the Hudson line at Spyten Duyvil and come down the Amtrak Westside line used by the LSL & Empire Service and approach NYP from the west.

 

[afigg]

The idea of running Metro-North New Haven and Hudson Line trains to New York Penn Station has been in the proposal and planning stages for a long time. Would not happen until after the East Side Access project is completed and LIRR shifts some of their trains to Grand Central in 2016 or 2017 (or later). Would not help with getting to White Plains anyway because that is on the Harlem line.

...

Actually, New Haven line trains would come over the Hell Gate Bridge and approach NYP from the east. Harlem line trains would turn west at Mott Haven tower to join with the Hudson line at Spyten Duyvil and come down the Amtrak Westside line used by the LSL & Empire Service and approach NYP from the west.

Looking at the map, wouldn't the Harlem Line trains have to reverse direction and head north at Mott Haven for a distance to get to Spuyten Duyvil? Which does not appear to have a connector for trains coming up from the southeast to turn south to the west side connector line. Looks rather operationally awkward and slow for the Harlem line trains to get to NYP. The reports I have read on the proposals to extend MN service to NYP only discussed the Hudson and New Haven line trains, don't recall seeing any mention of plans for running any of the Harlem line trains to NYP. Not to say it can't be done, but it might take expensive shortcut connector tracks.

The proposed extensions of service and new MN stations on the Amtrak lines is undergoing alternatives analysis and environmental review with a report due this year as I recall. The report will be interesting to see what they recommend and what the price tags will be for the 2 routes.

 

[AlanB]

Actually, New Haven line trains would come over the Hell Gate Bridge and approach NYP from the east. Harlem line trains would turn west at Mott Haven tower to join with the Hudson line at Spyten Duyvil and come down the Amtrak Westside line used by the LSL & Empire Service and approach NYP from the west.

Looking at the map, wouldn't the Harlem Line trains have to reverse direction and head north at Mott Haven for a distance to get to Spuyten Duyvil? Which does not appear to have a connector for trains coming up from the southeast to turn south to the west side connector line. Looks rather operationally awkward and slow for the Harlem line trains to get to NYP. The reports I have read on the proposals to extend MN service to NYP only discussed the Hudson and New Haven line trains, don't recall seeing any mention of plans for running any of the Harlem line trains to NYP. Not to say it can't be done, but it might take expensive shortcut connector tracks.

The proposed extensions of service and new MN stations on the Amtrak lines is undergoing alternatives analysis and environmental review with a report due this year as I recall. The report will be interesting to see what they recommend and what the price tags will be for the 2 routes.

No, as seen in this map trains can come down the combined Harlem/New Haven line to Mott. Those tracks are on the right and parallel Park Avenue on the map. They would then traverse the back of the wye at the top of the picture to reach the Hudson Line tracks which you see diverging to the left from the bottom of the map towards 150th Street and that group of trees that shadows the tracks. The now abandoned MO Tower is the second building north of the split coming from the south, it's the building with the bulge in the front that holds nice bay windows. I'm not sure if that track has third rail power on it, but if not it won't take much to add it.

One is also technically going the wrong way for a short period of time if one does this, as you have to run the Hudson line north for a couple of miles, before you turn west again towards Sypten Duyvil to reach the westside line to Penn.

The bigger issue, although certainly not insurmountable, is that the track to go south over at Spyten Duyvil is long gone, although some remnants can still be seen. Here's that location on the map. If one zooms in further on the Amtrak bridge on the left, just north of the bridge you can see where there used to be a track that both created a wye here, and links to trains headed to/from Grand Central.

 

[Dutchrailnut]

The Wye at Spuyter Duyvil was never made for 85 foot passenger cars not in past and certainly not now as switch would be next to high level platform.

Also to Go from MottHaven Jct to Spuyten Duyvil would be traveling due north for 6 miles just to go south and travel same distance before any gain is made.

Can you see a 12 to 20 minute loss of time ??