Sen. Kip Bateman, R-16th District, welcomed New Jersey Transit reopening the Dinky rail line in Princeton more than eight months after the agency discontinued the service. Bateman represents constituents in Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties.
“NJ Transit’s three-month hiatus should never have turned into an eight-month halt,” Bateman said in a prepared statement. “It was incredibly unfair to the people who utilize the Dinky on a daily basis. There is no doubt that this has been a very frustrating time for commuters and travelers in our area.”
He commended the “Save the Dinky” group for their advocacy and determination in having the line restored as soon as possible.
“The Dinky is critically important to the town of Princeton, Princeton University, and the region at large,” Bateman said. “It connects students, residents, commuters, and visitors to the Northeast Corridor – the economic lifeline of the East Coast and beyond.”
The Dinky service will resume with a schedule similar to its previous operation prior to the temporary suspension.
Rider advocacy organization Lackawanna Coalition President David Peter Alan began lobbying New Jersey Transit in the summer of 2018 asking for a quicker restoration of the Atlantic City Rail Line and the Dinky rail line. Both lines resumed service on May 12.
