Longest (almost) Continuous Trip On Commuter Rail
Newark station is the southern terminus of the longest nearly-continuous trip by commuter rail in the Northeast Corridor. By using a combination of SEPTA, New Jersey Transit, Metro-North Railroad, and Shore Line East it is possible to travel all the way to New London, Connecticut, a distance of 258.31 miles (415.71 km). It is necessary, however, to take a short hop on the subway, quick cab ride or mile walk from NJ Transit service at New York's Penn Station to the Metro-North service at Grand Central Terminal (although Metro-North plans on expanding the Hudson Line via Amtrak's Empire Service & Maple Leaf trains and the New Haven Line via the Acela Express & Northeast Regional trains to New York Penn Station, thus creating a direct commuter route across the Northeast Corridor).
The Northeast Corridor leaves Penn Station through the East River Tunnels used (though not owned) by the Long Island Rail Road, then finds its way through Long Island City and Astoria in Queens, over Wards and Randall's Islands and through the South Bronx. The Metro-North's New Haven Line rejoins the Northeast Corridor between its Pelham and New Rochelle stations in Westchester County.
An exception to this necessary and complex transfer occurs when Metro-North operates Game-day service to the Meadowlands Sports Complex, which operates via Penn Station (by bypassing Grand Central via the Northeast Corridor) during football season, allowing the full 250-odd mile trip, albeit with a great deal of planning ahead of time as there is obviously no regular service. There are preliminary plans to bring Metro-North into Penn Station, following the completion of the Long Island Railroad's East Side Access project into Grand Central.
On a related note, the Maryland Transit Administration has made steps to extend its Penn Line from Perryville, Maryland to Newark, which would allow a continuous journey from Fredericksburg, Virginia to New London. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has also taken steps to extend service beyond Providence, Rhode Island to Wickford Junction in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, though no serious talks have begun on linking the MBTA and the Shore Line East. Such a venture, coupled with other planned service, would provide a very slow (though cheaper) journey all the way from Virginia to New Hampshire, traveling through ten states and the District of Columbia.
Read more about this topic: Newark Rail Station (Delaware)
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