It was really good to see that at least one Red Bank institution, Red Bank Green, is starting to take an interest in what’s going on in the town apart from just some developer’s nocturnal fantasy.
This is my response to RBG’s recent Facebook posting about the old CNJ route which has a junction in the town:
Since RGB’s previous article about the line in 2022 freight operations have virtually ceased and have transferred to a restored and rejuvenated Freehold Secondary connector, running from Jamesburg to Freehold and south on the old CNJ rails.
The wisdom of this investment has already seen traffic rise from the once-weekly freight through Red Bank to ten-wagon trains, sometimes two or three times a day on the Freehold Secondary.
Currently, freights are being temporarily routed through RB while essential work takes place on a bridge.
There is a real danger that the town will lose this connection. NJT is trying to eliminate freight traffic on the NCL because it’s a major problem to route through the line’s archaic signalling system. At the same time, RB council sees this as an excellent opportunity to convert the line into a bike trail, and I suspect even as a relief road for Shrewsbury Avenue.
This would be a disaster for the town and the region.
This route used to be part of the CNJ route through to AC and Philadelphia. One of the most famous expresses in the world, The Blue Comet, used to run between NYC and AC.
The line serves a hinterland of 2 million people and even has the potential for re-establishing stations at Eatontown (Netflix) and cross-state routes to Freehold and Trenton.
The line provides the framework of a 21stC rapid transit system. It would be which would be a tragic economic and environmental loss for the town to fail to realise its potential.
I have warned the borough of the consequences of losing this route for some years now, and also the opportunity it affords for the future.
Unfortunately, the council has very selective ears and has already spitballed disastrous plans for the future. Beware the proposed NJT/Denholtz proposals and the council’s obvious haste to facilitate them.
Facebook: 1.31.24
Transit? It’s so last century… – Red Bank Rising : 1.19.24
The Bigger Picture… – Red Bank Rising : 1.2.24
Lost Horizon – Red Bank Rising : 2.24.23
