This article was updated on Wednesday, Dec. 6 with a comment from South Orange officials.
New Jersey Transit’s Morristown Line is operating on a modified schedule starting Tuesday “until further notice” because of overhead wire repairs near Mount Tabor.
For Maplewood and South Orange residents who take the train into New York Penn Station, that has spelled a miserable commute.
Some trains are not operating, while others are making additional stops and being rerouted, according to NJ Transit and other reports. The rerouted trains will operate on the Montclair-Boonton Line between Denville and Newark Broad Street Station.
See more information on NJ Transit’s website, and see the full post from NJT below.
Meanwhile, in response to commuters’ tales of woe posted on social media, Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis announced an (at least temporary) solution: Boxcar Bus Service will be running buses from Maplewood to and from New York City, six buses into NYC and six buses out of NYC daily. The service will begin tomorrow, Wednesday.
Boxcar already operates in Short Hills and Millburn.
The ride does not come cheap, however: It costs $19.99 each way, but riders can save 33% on all tickets if they purchase a membership at $29.99 a month.
“We continue talking to NJT…about their overall service and how unreliable it has become and frustrated our residents,” said Dafis. “So that advocacy will continue as well.”
According to information provided by Dafis on Facebook:
$19.99 each way but riders can save 33% on all tickets with a membership purchased ahead of time via the boxcar app. Memberships cost $29.99 a month, so pays for itself after just two round trips.
https:://prod.boxcarapp.com/account/memberships/available
This is part of Boxcar’s existing South Mountain service (Short Hills, Millburn, now Maplewood)
Starts tmw am, 12/5
Schedule, go to app (download on your phone):
AM to NYC
Maplewood pickup from Maplewood Train Station at – 5:40, 610, 6:50, 7:31, 8:22, 8:53
PM to Maplewood, see photo below…again, download app ….
If you have any questions text:
908-206-4633, Boxcar concierge will respond
Buses are GPS’d, so you can track them via the app.
Dafis also wrote that the service “could become permanent if ridership is sustained.”
Village Green also reached out to South Orange leaders.
“We’ve been in touch with both NJ Transit and Boxcar Bus,” said Village Administrator Julie Doran on Wednesday. “NJ Transit expects to provide an update on the status of the repairs at the end of this week. For now, South Orange residents wishing to commute via Boxcar will have to pick it up at one of the temporary stops in Maplewood.”
From NJ Transit:
M&E Line rail service will operate on a modified schedule in both directions between PSNY & Morristown until further notice while repairs continue on the overhead wires near Mt Tabor. For complete information click HERE.
NJ TRANSIT Morristown Line Service Impacts due to Overhead Wire Repairs near Mount Tabor – Beginning Tuesday, December 5th and Continuing Until Further Notice
Due to extensive overhead wire repairs near Mount Tabor, the Morristown Line will operate on a modified schedule until further notice:
- Select trains will not operate.
- Select trains will be rerouted to operate via the Montclair-Boonton Line between Denville and Newark Broad Street Station (NBS).
- Select trains will make additional station stops.
Cross-honoring will no longer be in effect on PATH or Private Carrier bus service, but will remain in effect for NJ TRANSIT bus service and Newark Light Rail.
Train service on the Morristown Line will originate and terminate at Morristown Station. Customers traveling to/from Morris Plains and Mount Tabor should use Morristown or Denville stations on the Montclair-Boonton Line. There will be no direct service to Hoboken from Morristown, Convent, Madison or Chatham stations; customers traveling to Hoboken can transfer at Summit Station or NBS.
NOTE: Here are the complete printer-friendly timetables for the modified service on M&E and Montclair-Boonton lines.
The following trains listed below will not operate:
The following trains will be rerouted to operate via the Montclair-Boonton Line between Denville and NBS stations (see Special Note for station stops):
The following M&E trains will operate between Summit and Hoboken stations ONLY:
The following trains will make additional station stops (see Special Note):
Important Note: Eastbound trains will depart earlier than usual from Morristown and Convent stations. Customers are advised to arrive early to allow extra time for possible track changes if necessary and to listen carefully for station announcements.
There are local NJ TRANSIT Bus services available between Morris Plains and Morristown stations. For more information, please see schedules for Bus Routes 872, 875, and 880.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we continue to work around the clock to restore full service on the Morristown Line as quickly and safely as possible.
Visit Travel Alerts & Advisories, sign up for My Transit Alerts, download the NJ TRANSIT app, visit www.njtransit.com, or follow us at @NJTRANSIT_ME on “X” (formerly Twitter) for the latest service information and updates for the Morris & Essex Line.
For more information and language assistance, please call NJ TRANSIT Customer Service at (973) 275-5555 between the hours of 8:30AM and 5PM daily.
