M&E Partners with ShipXpress
M&E Leaves Maine, Focuses on NJ
2015 will be the final year for the Maine Eastern Railroad’s freight and excursion rail operations.
Since January 1, 2004, the Morristown & Erie Railway has been operating in Maine as the Maine Eastern Railroad, providing year-round freight service and seasonal excursion train service along the Rockland Branch. The railroad’s main office in Morristown, NJ was notified on Wednesday that the operating lease on the State-owned Rockland Branch, which runs for 58 miles between Brunswick and Rockland, ME, will not be renewed with the Maine Eastern. Instead, the local Central Maine & Quebec Railway will assume the freight operations on the Rockland Branch on January 1, 2016.
The Morristown & Erie Railway currently has extensive freight operations in Morris County, NJ and switching operations at the Bayway Refinery in Linden, NJ. Both have seen significant rail traffic increases in the past four years. The Morristown & Erie will be refocusing its efforts on these operations by pursuing several new business opportunities and continuing to foster the upward trend in freight shipments. The Morristown & Erie’s rail equipment currently located on the Rockland Branch will be relocated to New Jersey to supplement the railroad’s existing locomotives and rolling stock and help manage the increased business.
There are no current plans for the continuation of excursion passenger service along the Rockland Branch in 2016. The remainder of the Maine Eastern’s 2015 excursion season will continue to operate as scheduled, with Saturday and Sunday round-trips running throughout October. The final day for excursion service on the Rockland Branch will be Sunday, October 25, 2015. Tickets may still be purchased for these excursions at www.MaineEasternRailroad.com or by calling 207-596-6725.
The Maine Eastern Railroad would like to thank its customers, passengers, supporters, and the State of Maine for the opportunity to operate the Rockland Branch for the past twelve years. The railroad also wishes the Central Maine & Quebec the best success with its new operation.
Click here to view the M&E's press release.
Artist Andy Fletcher Draws M&E Locomotive
Renowned railroad artist Andy Fletcher has produced a drawing of Morristown & Erie Railway locomotive #19.
Fletcher, the artist responsible for designing Norfolk Southern's fleet of 20 heritage locomotives, posted the drawing to his Facebook and Twitter accounts yesterday.
"Morristown & Erie is truly a fan-favorite and it was a pleasure to draw C424 #19," said Fletcher in an online comment. "Locomotive #19 brings generations of families together to celebrate the holidays and railroading. Truly a great locomotive."
Locomotive #19, a C424 model produced by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) in 1964, has been operated by the Morristown & Erie since 1984. It is frequently used on holiday and excursion rides at the Whippany Railway Museum, where it hauls over 5,000 passengers a year.
The Morristown & Erie Railway extends its thanks to Mr. Fletcher for representing our company among his collection of over 2,000 railroad drawings, which have been made into prints, magnets, and other memorabilia that is very popular in the railroad industry.
Prints, posters, and other products featuring Fletcher's drawing of M&E #19 will be available on his website in the near future.
M&E Reports 13 Percent Freight Increase in 2014
The year 2014 marked the second consecutive year of freight traffic increases for the Morristown & Erie Railway.
“This was an extremely successful year for the Morristown & Erie,” said Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Chuck Jensen. “The addition of significant infrastructure improvements will position the railroad for continued success in 2015.”
The Morristown & Erie Railway ended 2014 with a 13% increase in freight rail traffic over 2013. This increase is part of a larger overall trend that has resulted in a 59% overall increase in M&E freight traffic between 2010 and 2014. The railroad is projecting similar traffic increases in 2015, partly due to several capital improvement projects designed to harness additional business opportunities.
The Kenvil Team Track was expanded between July and October of 2014, adding an additional track and three additional railcar spots to the facility. The expansion project was performed jointly by the Morristown & Erie Railway and the Morris County Department of Transportation, and it will expand the capacity and marketability of freight rail in Morris County. Marketing efforts are already underway to bring additional freight customers to this facility, which is currently being used by a local lumber distributor to transload from railcars to trucks.
In the summer of 2014, the M&E began construction on the new Troy Hills Bulk Transload Facility. The location’s 13 railcar spots and easy access off Route 10 in Whippany will facilitate the expansion of M&E freight rail services while reducing truck traffic on northern New Jersey’s congested highways. The Troy Hills facility is projected to open in 2016.
“We are very much looking forward to our 120th year of continuous service in 2015,” Jensen said. “We will continue to provide reliable and quality freight rail service while expanding our outreach and business opportunities.”
More information on the M&E’s freight initiatives is available throughout this website.
Click here to view the original press release.
M&E Acquires Additional Locomotives
The Morristown & Erie Railway announced today that it has acquired additional locomotives to supplement its existing motive power. View the ad below for more details!
M&E Receives Jake Award for Safety in 2013
The Morristown & Erie Railway is proud to announce the receipt of a prestigious Jake Award with Distinction for safety in the year 2013. Issued annually by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), Jake Awards are given to all short line and regional railroads that have an injury rate lower than the industry average of 2.42 per year. Jake Awards with Distinction are given to railroads that have no reportable injuries in a given year. The M&E has always maintained an exemplary safety record, and has been a consistent winner of this award since the Jake Awards' inception in 1995.
New York City Law Increases Biodiesel Blends
The Morristown & Erie's customer, Renewable Energy Group, recently posted an article on their website regarding the the law passed by New York City that affects biodiesel blends in municipal vehicles.
From the article:
Renewable Energy Group® (NASDAQ: REGI) hailed New York City’s new law that will utilize a five percent blend of biodiesel in the city’s vehicle fleet beginning next year, and increasing to 20 percent in the near future. [...]
The new law requires the city fleet to use a B5 biodiesel blend beginning July 1, 2014. Beginning July 1 2016, the city fleet must use a B20 blend from April to November. The city will also launch a pilot program prior to December 1, 2016 to study year round usage of B20 with no fewer than 5 percent of the city fleet. [...]
In addition to the fleet law, the city has had a B2 biodiesel requirement for home heating oil in effect since last year. The New York State legislature recently passed B2 statewide legislation, requiring all heating oil for use in any building within Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties to contain at least two percent biodiesel, effective October 1, 2014. On July 1, 2015, all heating oil sold for use in any building statewide will meet this standard.
Renewable Energy Group is the nation's largest biodiesel producer and marketer, and the firm's rail-served facility on the Morristown & Erie in Whippany is one of the New York metropolitan area's leading distribution points for biodiesel. The Morristown & Erie looks forward to an outstanding business partnership with REG as biodiesel production increases in the near future!
For more information on Renewable Energy Group, please visit their website.
"Lehigh Limited" Celebrates M&E Anniversary in Style
On Saturday, August 24, 2013, the Morristown & Erie Railway successfully operated a 175-mile round-trip passenger excursion over the tracks of four railroads (NJ Transit, Amtrak, Conrail Shared Assets, and Norfolk Southern). Named the Lehigh Limited, the 16-car train was operated in celebration of the M&E’s 110th year of operation since its inception in 1903.
Motive power for the trip was Morristown & Erie C424 #18, Norfolk Southern GP40-2 #3031, and NJ Transit P40BH #4802. Norfolk Southern also supplied three coaches for its employees and guests, and the M&E leased three NJ Transit Comet V coaches. The remainder of the equipment was comprised of ten privately-owned historic passenger cars that have been upgraded to current Amtrak and FRA standards. These cars came from as far away as Maine and West Virginia. NS #3031 led the westbound trip over the CR/NS Lehigh Line, while M&E #18 led the eastbound return trip over the NS Washington Secondary and the NJT Morristown Line.
The 9.5-hour round-trip from Hoboken, NJ to Bethlehem, PA and back included on-board food services provided by the M&E and a catered lunch provided by That’s Amore restaurant in Bethlehem. Tents, tables, chairs, and serving stations were set up to facilitate serving almost 700 passengers, crew, and staff in under 30 minutes, allowing another hour for everyone to eat and enjoy the beautiful weather before boarding the train again. Police and EMTs were on hand to ensure the safety and security of all passengers and personnel as the locomotives changed ends of the trains while lunch was served.
The entire operation of the Lehigh Limited went on without incident, due to the diligent preparation by the M&E staff as well as the attentiveness and professionalism of M&E, NS, and NJT personnel and crews. Its success is a testament to the cooperation, safety, and dedication to service within the railroading industry, a combination that made the Morristown & Erie’s 110th anniversary a celebration that was truly remarkable and memorable.
Thanks to all who participated!
M&E Attends Grand Central Terminal Centennial
The magnificent Grand Central Terminal in New York City celebrated the 100th anniversary of its construction with a large exhibition on May 11th & 12th, 2013. The Morristown & Erie's private railcar Birken was in attendance and open for public viewing, as well as 15 other privately-owned historic railcars. The Terminal's main concourse and wings were filled with other exhibits explaining the Terminal's history from its construction in 1913 for the New York Central Railroad through its present operation by the Metro-North Railroad.
