Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum: Replying To Newark Airport Station - Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

AlanB, on Thu, Jan 14, 2010, 12:26 AM, said:

Yeah, stopping the train to discharge several hundred passengrs would just seem to delay help for the heart attack victim. The paramedics could work on the victim witih other passengers on board. The other passengers would be delayed, but not for that long, since the paramedics would try to remove the patient from train and transport him to a hospital as soon as possible.

Heading North, on Wed, Jan 13, 2010, 10:16 PM, said:

I can understand the logic in perhaps not meeting the ambulance at EWR and waiting for the easier access at North Eliz; even though that flies in the face of similar logic applied by a crew on Boston's T commuter service, which saw severe repercussions from their not making the first available stop.

However, I cannot understand the logic of discharging the entire train at EWR. That makes no sense. In fact, that would simply delay getting needed attention to the victim, as emptying a train takes time. I could see skipping the stop, even though that could cause some people to perhaps miss a flight. But throwing out potentially 100 to 200 or more passengers takes substantial time, critical time for someone having a heart attack.

It sounds from the above post that a station accessible only by rail is not necessarily all that ideal.

And while EWR is only accessible by train in "normal" service, it isn't isolated or remote in the sense that it can never be served otherwise... (Granted, it did have to be built somehow...)

I was trying to get to EWR (the airport) after a snowstorm in 2005 and the NEC was running, but with some delays. I took NJT from New Brunswick, and trains were running hourly (but making good time). However, the monorail was down because of the weather--and yet the trains kept stopping there to pick up and drop off passengers! The Port Authority ran shuttle buses, which required going down several flights of stairs and out a narrow, back corridor to an access road. Clearly, the station was never meant to be used that way, and it was very time-consuming. Quite a few people waiting ended up missing their flights! (Clearly, if an announcement had been made, I'd have stayed on the train to Newark Penn...)

Another indication, though, of how difficult it is to access the station by road comes from an incident I encountered on NJT a few years ago. A passenger on a southbound train during the evening rush had a heart attack, and because EMS couldn't easily reach him at EWR, the passengers were discharged and the train continued to North Elizabeth, where EMS met the train. I was on the train immediately following, so we picked up their passengers.

Wow, well first I apologize for my out-of-date information. Last I heard, it was only rail-accessible.
So second, thanks for enlightening me/us! I guess with rail service expanding the way it is now, I'll have to be more careful about the information I post and check some first!

Saglians on the Swiss RhB network is a train only access station, on the splitting point of the line from Scuol-Tarasp where it heads towards Klosters and Samedan.
Probably think of a few more, but its not a unique thing.

jis, on Wed, Jan 13, 2010, 01:53 PM, said:

Correct, which is why I said it could be argued, since there was a very limited bus service at the begining.

AlanB, on Wed, Jan 13, 2010, 10:43 AM, said:

AFAIK, there has always been a road shuttle service from SEC to serve the developments around what used to be Harmon Cove station on the Bergen Line which was shut down when SEC Lower Level was inaugurated.

The brand new exit from NJTpk BTW is Exit 15X.

SanJoaquinRider, on Wed, Jan 13, 2010, 01:23 PM, said:

Sure that's possible, but that doesn't change the fact that you still have to take the monorail train to the EWR train station. You cannot drive to the EWR station or walk to it.

The airport itself is probably about 3 miles from the train station.

MattW, on Wed, Jan 13, 2010, 01:20 PM, said:

When it first opened one could have argued that it was only accessible by train, but that is no longer true. There is a commuter lot right there at the station, bus service, and even a brand new exit from the eastern spur of the New Jersey Turnpike just for Secaucus Junction.