Last Thursday, the Port Authority and NJTransit announced an agreement over the price and frequency of rail service to Newark Airport. The Port Authority is also in discussions to negotiate Amtrak stops at the new Newark Airport train station on the Northeast Corridor. 

According to the agreement, a train will leave NY Penn Station and Newark Penn Station for Newark airport roughly every twenty minutes between 6am and 9pm on weekdays. Northbound service to the airport on the Northeast Corridor line and North Jersey Coast line will have similar headways. Overnight and weekdays, airport-bound trains will leave every 30 minutes. A monorail will leave the airport train station for terminals every three minutes. This schedule is an improvement over the one floated by NJTransit in May with just two trains leaving every hour, even during peak traveling periods (MTR #316). However, because trains will make all other stops along both lines, NJ Transit chief Jeff Warsh warned that rush hour travelers may be forced to stand and will have limited room for baggage.

Although fares compare favorably to exorbitant taxi rides from Midtown Manhattan or downtown Newark, they are less competitive with overnight parking. For example, for the price of a round-trip fare from NY Penn Station, an air passenger can park in economy for three days. The high prices come in part from a $3.50 surcharge added to each ticket by the Port Authority to pay for the cost of the station and monorail extension and operating costs for the monorail. But the Port Authority already receives a $3 user fee from each passenger who departs from Newark to pay for construction costs. Advocates question why train passengers are being charged to use the monorail, while passengers who drive to the airport and park can ride for free. 

The Port Authority plans to offer monthly discount rail passes for airport employees and frequent travelers, but has not stated a price for these. The Port Authority told the Bergen Record that over 1 million passengers are expected to use the facility in 2002 and up to 3 million by 2010. 
 

Meeting the Monorail - May 7, 2001

(JFK) AirTrain in the Home Stretch - May 28, 1999

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