There Will Never Be LV RailRoad System. Stop IT!

There will never be a rail system connected to the Lehigh Valley into New Jersey. Never. Ever ever. Why? Because it costs a ton of money, no one is sure where it would come from, it doesn’t have THAT much interest except to a pretty select group of people, it seems like a novelty more than an actual profitable endeavor and it just doesn’t make a whole ton of sense.

If you’re going to commute from here to NYC, there are numerous ways to do so already, if it’s by your own car or a bus. Sure, there may be more commuters moving INTO the area, but do you know how expensive a rail system is? It’s expensive. More than $100.

Oh, also, the train companies that already do work here shipping crap are also saying “don’t tread on our rails or we will fucking kill you.”

Oh, and the feasibility study alone for this possible monstrosity costs $250,000. I can save you the money and just tell you, “It’s not going to happen.”

Before the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation gets too far into a $250,000 study to examine the feasibility of connecting passenger rail service with New Jersey Transit’s Raritan Valley Line, Norfolk Southern — the owner of one of southernmost railways connecting into New Jersey — has some words of caution.

The passenger service cannot impact existing freight service and it won’t be cheap, according to a form letter from the company addressed to “Planners of Passenger Train Projects.”

“We look forward to moving your projects forward as long as they remain realistic and include our concerns,” the letter states. “Please don’t assume that the use of our capacity and our asset is ‘free.’”

The six-month study by LVEDC will look at infrastructure requirements, feasibility, routes, parking and other requirements.

“It’s clear their first goal is moving freight,” Gerald Fry, assistant district executive for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, said.

The Central Railroad of New Jersey also owns a line north of the Lehigh River. Source

I was just thinking how appropriate the term “train wreck” is. I mean, if something is REALLY fucked up, just think about how fucked up a train wreck is. Body parts everywhere, big heavy pieces of metal all flung around, days of delay, etc.  Man, train wrecks are quite the spectacle, are they not?

This whole thing is a train wreck and we should start focusing on cooler projects that make sense, like a Lehigh Valley Monorail.

Seriously, people. Get with it.