“NJ TRANSIT is proud to announce this significant set of rail schedule enhancements to provide our customers with greater frequency and travel options as ridership begins to return to the system,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett.
“These enhancements will be essential to our region, at a time when more and more customers are returning to public transit and frequent and reliable service is more critical than ever.”
Restoration of weekend service on the Gladstone Branch will include the addition of 39 trains between Gladstone and Summit which has utilized substitute bus service since October 2018.
Additional adjustments throughout the rail system
Beginning June 6th, other adjustments include additional summer service on the North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL) Long Branch–Bay Head shuttle trains. On weekend days, twelve North Jersey Coast Line trains will be added to provide shuttle service between Long Branch and Bay Head, operating on the weekends through September 11th. This service was temporarily suspended last year due to COVID-19.
Weekday restorations include the following trains which were part of service reductions implemented in August 2020. The following trains will be restored to the schedule:
· Northeast Corridor trains 3124 and 3725 between New Brunswick and PSNY
· Northeast Corridor trains 3834 and 3951 between Trenton and PSNY
· Raritan Valley Line trains 5420, 5444 and 5445 between Raritan and Newark
· Westbound morning NEC Train 3711 is extended from New Brunswick to Trenton, and renumbered as Train 3821, departing PSNY at 7:14 AM
To ensure seating capacity is best positioned where it can best service customers returning to a weekday commute and to try to prevent potential overcrowding, five trains on the Northeast Corridor and New Jersey Coast Line will be adjusted to better accommodate customers.
- On the NEC, existing local train 3828 will run express from Metropark to Newark Liberty Airport, and arrive PSNY at 8:53 a.m.
- On the NJCL, two trains that currently depart Long Branch 10 minutes apart and arrive PSNY after 10 a.m. will be rescheduled. Train 3232 will operate 40 minutes earlier to arrive at PSNY at 9:37 a.m. This eliminates a 56-minute gap in peak period service on the NJCL. Train 3232 is renumbered 3228.
- Trains 3506 and 3830 operate about 15 minutes earlier.
- Train 3720, a Metropark express that currently arrives at 9:57 a.m., will make additional local NEC stops and arrive about 10 minutes later.
These schedule enhancements are yet another component of our recently announced “While You’ve Been Away” public information campaign.
The campaign informs our customers of all the improvements we’ve made across the system to improve their experience as they prepare to return to NJ TRANSIT as we emerge from the pandemic. Learn more about what we’ve done “While You’ve Been Away” at njtransit.com/progress.