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Secaucus Transfer Station, a $450 million project designed to link 11 of New Jersey Transit’s 12 rail lines, is slated to be opened in phases, beginning in September 2003 — not opening all at once in late fall 2002, as originally planned.



The station’s opening is contingent on the completion of several other projects, including restoration of Port Authority Trans-Hudson’s service to lower Manhattan, which is scheduled to be finished in winter 2003/2004. Until this service is restored, full operation of the transfer during weekday peak periods would produce unacceptable crowding on Northeast Corridor trains to and from Penn Station New York, according to a prepared statement.



NJ Transit plans to start increasing weekday service in late summer 2003 on the Northeast Corridor, MidTOWN DIRECT, and Main, Port Jervis and North Jersey Coast lines, although trains will not stop at Secaucus until full weekday service begins.



Weekend service would start around Labor Day 2003 for the same lines. Full service is slated to begin as soon as PATH service to lower Manhattan is restored, although NJ Transit officials plan to continually evaluate projects and ridership trends to see if it can open earlier.



"Orange and Rockland County residents have been eagerly awaiting the opening of the Secaucus Transfer Station because it will vastly improve their travel time to midtown Manhattan," said Metro-North President Peter Cannito.