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 The
long-delayed reactivation of railroad lines between Cranford and Linden
has been delayed again, this time until at least June of 2009.
The most recent setback is due
to problems with the signal equipment for the rail crossings in Roselle,
which have forced the railroad company, Morristown
& Erie Railway Inc., to seek new bids for the work.
According to Gordon Fuller, chief executive officer with M&E
Railway, the signals needed were not designed properly. Fuller, however,
declined to name the company responsible for the work. "We had to a
get another signal company to bid the job," Fuller said.
"We're in discussion with two different companies right now."
The portion of rail line
intended to be put back into service is comprised of the Staten Island
Railroad, which runs from Linden to Cranford. The reactivation of the
Rahway Valley Railroad, which runs from Cranford to Summit, is also part
of the plan, but no timetable is available for the completion of this
phase. Fuller said meetings with state and county officials will be
needed before the work can resume. - See The
Morristown & Erie Railway's Proposed Routing
"We want to make sure we
have all coordination before we move forward," Fuller said, adding
that M&E is still confident in the project, despite the delays.
"It's taking longer than
we'd have liked, but we're essentially recreating a railroad, and that
takes some time," Fuller said.
The rail lines were abandoned in
the early 1990s, but the New Jersey Department of Transportation
purchased them in 1994 and signed an agreement with Union County in
2000, in the hopes of reactivating the lines. -See
Copy
Of The Agreement
(A  .pdf
file requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Despite claims from county and
railroad officials that the rail lines could help the local economies by
providing easier shipping, many individual towns along the lines have
formally opposed the reactivation in previous years, citing both quality
of life and traffic issues. Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski said
railroads are a vital part of the county's economic life.
"The M&E line will help
to link business in our towns and cities to supplies," Kowalski
said. "It's a safe and economically smart form of
transportation."
Fuller also pointed out that
shipping goods via railroad is less costly in some cases, than trucks or
other means of delivery.
"Where rail lines operate
they create a greater deal of stability, continuity and less expensive
shipping costs," Fuller said.
Roselle's 5th Ward Councilwoman
Christine Dansereau is among those not yet convinced of this assertion.
"The timing of the
reactivation is very poor in terms of the economy," Dansereau said.
"There's been no proof that it will stimulate the economy."
Dansereau said it is difficult
to believe in the financial benefit of the line without ever having seen
a full business plan. "At this point, I'll reserve judgement until
I see full disclosure," Dansereau said.
Cranford Downtown
Management Chair Paul LaCorte said that although he thinks the new
rail line has the potential to create some savings for local businesses
through reduced fuel costs, any such expectations at this point are
"more spin than speculation."
"I don't think its going to
have negative or positive effect on the downtown," LaCorte said.
"I think its mostly neutral."
Fuller said the completed line
can connect Union County with bigger national rail lines that reach as
far as Canada.
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