ASSEMBLY, No. 2095

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED JUNE 3, 1996

 

 

By Assemblymen ROMA and ZISA

 

 

An Act requiring a study of rail passenger service.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. The New Jersey Transit Corporation shall study the feasibility and cost of instituting rail passenger service from the township of Weehawken in the county of Hudson to the borough of Northvale in the county of Bergen, making use of existing rail freight lines or rights-of-way with stops at intermediate points.

    The study shall include, but not be limited to, an examination of the cost of using or modifying existing rail freight lines or rights-of-way for both conventional and light rail passenger service, with particular reference to the Northern Running Track and intersecting or connecting lines, the feasibility and cost of entering into an agreement with the Consolidated Rail Corporation for the use of the existing rail freight lines or rights-of-way and the location and cost of stations at proposed intermediate stops. The study shall be completed not more than six months following the effective date of this act.

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill would require the New Jersey Transit Corporation to study the feasibility and cost of instituting rail passenger service from the township of Weehawken to the borough of Northvale, making use of existing rail freight lines or rights-of-way. The study would include, but not be limited to, an examination of the cost of using or modifying the existing rail freight lines or rights-of-way for both conventional and light rail passenger service, with particular reference to the Northern Running Track (commonly referred to as the "Northern Line" or "Northern Branch Line") and any intersecting or connecting lines, the feasibility and cost of entering into an agreement with Conrail, and the location and costs of stations at the proposed intermediate stops.

    Conrail currently operates freight service to Northvale on the Northern Line, although a portion of this line is only used infrequently for freight service with one train running per day. The study would permit the examination of the cost of using the Northern Line for both conventional and light rail service, as well as using connecting or intersecting lines, such as the N.Y.S. and W.R.R. line, to institute rail passenger service from Weehawken to the northern border of New Jersey, with the potential to go to Rockland county in New York. The study is to be completed within six months of the bill becoming law.

 

 

                             

 

Requires NJT to study feasibility and estimate cost of rail passenger service from Weehawken to Northvale using Northern Line.