Large explosion heard NJ early Monday near Elizabeth transit station

[jis]

Yeah they won't generally let an Acela running ahead of schedule to screw up a lesser train. They will happily hammer a Regional that missed its slot and let an NJT or two get ahead of it, specially if an overtake can be more conveniently arranged a little further on.

 

[JoeBas]

The kicker here is that everyone was complaining that they were sitting still and no one was telling them anything. Instead of Thank god they held the train so we're alive it's why aren't we told anything. I would imagine that this situation falls under the they didn't know anything. I just don't understand people.

If they weren't told anything, how would they know to be grateful that they were safe? For all they knew, it could have been a delay because the host railroad was holding them to let a freight train pass. It would have been easy enough for the crew to announce that they were being held for "police activity."

They were sitting in trains on tracks owned by Amtrak. It would be absolutely astounding if Amtrak gave priority to a freight train on their tracks when they even have problem giving priority to commuter railroad passenger trains, and heck even their own Regionals when an Acela is charging down the tracks

Didn't you notice the Smiley?

Although I remember one trip from hell when it seemed like all the NJT trains were getting priority over our Regional.

And just last night, our Acela into Baltimore was slowed down considerably due to a MARC train!

The nerve!!! What kind of so-and-sos ride those MARC trains anyway???

 

[dlagrua]

I do not understand why an incident in Elizabeth should delay Amtrak trains on the NEC. Elizabeth is not on the NEC.

Elizabeth Broad Street and North Elizabeth are NJT stations on the NEC. They are between NJT/Amtrak Newark Airport and NJT Linden, and the Broad Street station is adjacent to the famous Elizabeth S-curve. In terms of Amtrak stations, Elizabeth is between Newark Airport and Metropark. The incident was right under the tracks in an underpass by the Broad Street station. I think you need to brush up on the geography of New Jersey.

JIS, right you are. I have been on that route dozens of times and should know that. When I travel to NY its from Iselin to NYP and the NJT trains that I take do not stop at Elizabeth so there's the brain freeze. To my knowledge Amtrak does not stop there and may bypass that station on the center tracks.

 

[jis]

JIS, right you are. I have been on that route dozens of times and should know that. When I travel to NY its from Iselin to NYP and the NJT trains that I take do not stop at Elizabeth so there's the brain freeze. To my knowledge Amtrak does not stop there and may bypass that station on the center tracks.

Yes. Amtrak does not stop at Elizabeth or North Elizabeth and usually use tracks 2 and 3 (center tracks) unless for some reason they are out of service.