by Ralph Braskett (NJ Coordinator)
Committee for Better Transit (CBT)
November 1999

The proposed 2nd rail tunnel to Penn Station-NYC, with an extension to Grand Central Station, currently costed at $5.0 to $5.8 billion - split 50/50, has a target completion date of 2010, rapidly sliding to 2020. This project must compete for limited public dollars with other public infrastructure needs. Also, basing giga-bucks decisions on demand projections more than 20 years into the future is hazardous.

CBT offers an alternative to the proposed rail tunnel that:
- Is cheaper by 70-90%
- Can be implemented more quickly
- Would provide more capacity and mobility - reduce North East Corridor and Coast Line overcrowding with longer trains, offer more Midtown Direct service (already near capacity), expand intra-regional services.
- Would use existing rail assets better

Reconfigure Penn Station - NYC and run only long trains in rush hours: A 1971 engineering firm study recommended the reconfiguration and modernization of Penn Station - NYC switches, signals and tracks. The recommended improvements would allow Penn Station to increase rush hour capacity from 20 trains per hour to 40 trains.

In addition, CBT recommends the use of Multiple Unit (MU) passenger cars and rebuilt couplers on cab cars to allow the merger of inbound short trains and the split of outbound long trains at Newark's Penn Station and Broad St. Station. Each merged (at Newark) long inbound train would use one tunnel slot into Penn Station - NYC, instead of two. An MU car has its own motor and electric power pickup device.

Institute regional rail service with common rail cars for the region: We can improve Penn Station NYC capacity utilization by moving trains more quickly through the station and (yes!) serving new markets in our congested region.

- Start with through service from Trenton NJ to Stamford/New Haven CT via the Amtrak route.
- Study for best route(s), then institute New Jersey to Long Island service(s).

Unfortunately, NJT, MetroNorth, and LIRR have and will have mostly incompatible power equipment. Different kinds of power pickups are used: third rail and overhead AC. Also, there are two different kinds of third rail power pickup shoes - underrunning and overrunning. All three railroads should buy and share Multiple Unit passengers cars with multiple power types and pickups. This approach is common in Europe where trains often traverse incompatible networks.

East Side of Manhattan at an almost reasonable price.
If it can be shown that 20-33% of our existing train riders plus some current car users and bus riders would use an East Side access, CBT offers a lower cost alternative ($ 0.5 billion) to the proposed tunnel to Grand Central Station:

- Extend tracks 2 and 3 at Penn Station under 31st St. in a tunnel straight east to a station below the Lexington IRT subway under Park Ave. South.
- Build modern escalators from the station up to the south end of both the uptown and downtown #6 trains local platforms. Both #6 lines are under-used in rush hours from the 33rd St. stop.