The Dinky train traveling along the rail cooridor between Princeton and Princeotn Junction. File photo.
NJ Transit’s year-long Princeton transitway study is currently underway. The study is looking at the Princeton Branch right of way and travel connections to the branch, a 2.7-mile rail line that connects Princeton with Princeton Junction. The two-car train known as the Dinky currently runs along a single track in the right of way and is the shortest scheduled commuter rail line in the United States.
The study will help direct the future of transit service along this corridor. The study will evaluate existing conditions and estimate future demand for public transit along the corridor, taking into consideration planned developments such as the expansion of Princeton University, as well as new and emerging transportation technologies and other trends that are changing how and when people want to travel. The study will also evaluate the potential for the corridor to become a “multi-modal backbone” for public transit that could be used to improve local and regional connections for bus and rail transit, as well as pedestrian, bicycle, and other modes of transportation. A potential extension of service into downtown Princeton and the potential to add new stops along the corridor will be evaluated.