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How a commuter rail strike might affect one NJ short line
This strike has not been looming for weeks but for years…six years of negotiations and five without a contract. Twice in the last six months both sides agreed to Federal Arbitrtion and both times the suggestion was for an agreement accepted by the unions but rejected by NJT. And these agreements were for less than what the unions had asked for in the first place. NJT just won’t give. The aspect of this story about operations during the strike are interesting because of the lack of rail operation qualfications in politically packed NJT management. Reportedly there are only two people qualified to be dispatchers. And while NJT management claims they will hire engineers and others needed, Amtrak has stated flately that they will accept only engineers with Federal licenses and qualified to operate on its lines. Amtrak will not honor NJT tickets nor will it stop at Secaucus, the station being a part of NJT operations and not Amtrak. In addition to M&E, NYSW east of Port Jervis to Hudson Jct. and Middletown and NJ operations out of Campbell Hall, and NS locals on the Southern Tier Line will be affected.
Lets hope it all works out. I dont know about the “second busiest commuter railroad” label used in this article.
seems like a strategic goal for the freight railroads is to have a dedicated freight only corridor, subject only to operations and control by freight railroads. The passenger carrier would not hold freight hostage. This is a strong consideration with trackage that is jointly used, exception being that controlled by freight railroads already. Could a very unseemly event.
Operations in New York are a little different. I didn’t think NS had anything left in Campbell Hall as the M&NJ has leased all the NS branches. I thought NS just served the main line with a local based across the state line in Suffern, NY.
In New York, the railroad is owned by NS, leased to Metro North and operated by NJT. Problem being that NS Suffern and cars going to the M&NJ are fed to the area out of Croxton. Thus requiring a run over NJT to get there. I suppose NS could feed New York traffic to Port Jervis from Binghampton, but presently has no crews qualified east of Binghampton.
With a long term strike, one would think that Metro North could take over operation of the railroad between Port Jervis and Suffern just to move the freight since MN is the actual lessee. Or NS as the owner could act in order to fulfill their freight responsibility.
Keith, you describe the set on the Southern Tier line quite well. M&NJ receives NJ interchange at Campbell Hall for both the Middletown track and the former L&HR from Hudson Jct., NY to Warwick, NJ. NYSW operates the ST Line from Binghamton to Sparrowbush, NY under their CNY lease and dispatches the line and, I think, can interchange with NS only there. In complete conjecture on my part, I think the NYSW Cooperstown Dispatcher would be a choice in dispatching Sparrowbush to Suffern, or actually Sloatsburg, but NS would still not be able to access from or at Suffern. And I put that out only because NYSW has operated on the whole track segment east of Sparrowbush and MNRR does not have an office for dispatching purposes in that area. Problem would be compatible radio frequency which might be NJ local for NS, NYSW, and MNJ. So, if things got bad enough, yes, something could be put together to make it work.
And Andrew, if only there were another track for freight only. Yet, too, that is exactly what this arrangement is on the Southern Tier Line. NS provides only local switching services between Hillburn and Sparrowbush and MNJ does to Middletown and to Maybrook and to Warwick. Except for interchange at PJ with NS, NYSW is run through. So there is no mainline through freights for anyone Suffern to Binghamton.
Seems like a state owned entity would have the power to let freight run. After all, what does that have to do with striking transit workers? The strikers are not operating freight trains.
By the way where has Chris Christie been? Promoting a presidential candidate?
Ian Narita, …Chris Christie has come in off the campaign trail this week so he can go on vacation next week…I’m not making this up. Jim Norton, it is not the power to allow the freight to run but rather the personnel to operate the railroad. The management ranks of NJT has only two qualified dispatchers, in effect, not enough to operate any trains despite what they say they will. And hiring off the street to fill skilled labor jobs safely and efficiently is a dream not a reality of any kind. Don’t expect to see anything but buses parked on the highways next week if the strike takes place.
I’m surprised that a state hasn’t followed the Feds path and outlawed strikes by state employees, as opposed to the Republican method of eliminating the ability for state employees to organize…it would serve the same purpose but keep employees on the job. In plain American English, the employees can join a union, but they would be prevented from every going on strike.
It is construed that NJT employees are not state employees because they work for an entity called New Jersey Transit, come under Railroad Retirement, and are not covered by public employee unions, contracts, or agreements and in fact don’t come under any State pension program. NJT claims to have a health care system which is self insured but they hired Blue Cross/Blue Shield to manage the program, too.
When people say “NJT refuses to bend”, that means CHRISTIE refuses to bend: Read both of these pieces, please; they explain a lot, and offer some VERY damning indictments of the “governor” who refuses to govern, only act the schoolyard bully (or, in the vicinity of Trump, sniveling lapdog): http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/frank-n-wilner/holy-christie-tunnels-gridlock-now-njt.html?channel=00 and http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/commuter-regional/njt-to-customers-the-way-you-cant-go.html?channel=55 –
The on-topic and very knowlegable comments are appreciated. And those on the role of the NJ governor in this long-running fiasco are likewise germaine.
Let me start by saying that I don’t know a lot about railroad rules but since no NJ Transit trains will be running on their lines couldn’t Morristown Erie run one train at a time in dark territory at reduced speed. I think the only problem they might have is the inability to throw powered switches and the alienation of the striking union workers. They might be able to get a NJtransit manager to throw the switches but the attitude of the strikers is not something that will go away when the strike ends.