NJ Transit: No firm date for restoration of Dinky train service yet

NJ Jersey Transit officials have not determined when Dinky Train service will be restored.

Asked today if there is an estimated date for when service will be restored, a representative for NJ Transit said officials are still not sure about the restoration timeline.

“NJ Transit’s rail service planners are currently evaluating the schedule for restoring regular service to the Princeton Branch (the “Dinky”), Atlantic City Rail Line, weekend Gladstone service and other lines, after we have met the federal equipment installation milestone,” wrote Nancy Snyder, senior director of public information and corporate communications, in an email responding to a Planet Princeton inquiry on Wednesday.

At a Nov. 20 meeting, NJ Transit Executive Director Kevin Corbitt told area officials he could  not guarantee a restoration date,  but is trying to resume service on the Princeton Branch by January 15.  He also asked for feedback about the substitute bus service at the meeting.

Commuters who depend on the substitute bus service have reported delays and missed connections during rush hour and in bad weather. The Daily Princetonian reported that many students have been left behind or have been late for trains because the bus has half the capacity of the Dinky train. The problems become worse at the start and end of breaks when more students are traveling and are carrying luggage, students reported.