NEW YORK — Commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have approved a $230 million, multi-year program to address track and rolling stock issues for the Port Authority Trans Hudson, or PATH, rail system, NJ.com reports.
Commissioners voted 12-0 to approve the state-of-good-repair projects at their Tuesday, Nov. 21, meeting. The agency will spend $168 million for track rehabilitation, mostly between the Journal Square Transportation in Jersey City and Exchange Place station in Hoboken, N.J. PATH General Manager Clarelle DeGraffe told commissioners the last track habilitation took place 20 years ago.
Another $62 million will be used to rebuild wheelsets on 135 cars in PATH’s fleet of 350 PA-5 railcars built by Kawasaki between 2009 and 2011. That program will also include developing a plan for future railcar lifecycle maintenance and rebuilding.
The track work will begin in 2024 and is projected for completion by the fourth quarter of 2028. It will require some service interruptions, which will be coordinated with other transit agencies to maintain travel options.
Train to EWR airport wouldn’t be bad but they need something that people can afford to use. Philly’s airport has regular commuter trains going there and aircrews and airport workers use it. Single rides are overpriced though.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/schedules.septa.org/current/AIR.pdf
Interestingly there’s been more chatter about trains to airports, given the scrum of picking people up at the airport drive or waiting in the airport cell phone lot for the call.
As I’ve posted before, consider DEN Denver International. Picking someone up at baggage claim is impossible. One stop on the light rail to 63rd and Pena, it’s wide open to be picked up, hardly a car in sight except for your own family coming for you.
For all that advantage, the train is NOT heavily used, not at all. It appears to be mostly airport workers, not travelers with luggage.
Why is it going to take 5 years to upgrade two miles of track?
Good question.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Ultimately what PATH needs is to be integrated with other transit systems in the area. Having another transit agency, separate from NJ Transit and MTA is silly at this point.
But it’ll never happen because all of these agencies love having their own little fiefs.
Devil’s advocate here. With separate agencies labor problems will not paralyze the NY area.
Still needs that Newark Airport extension…
No EWR extension! That is a 100% waste of taxpayers $$$$$$.
I’ve used BART to SF International, CTA to Midway and O’Hare. Rapid Transit to airports is better than nothing to be sure…but a pain in the tukus when you have luggage.