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New Jersey state Senator Jennifer Beck Tuesday toured three train stations in the Eleventh District with NJ Transit Executive Director, Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim, and members of her staff.

Hakim [shown above, at far right] expressed interest in visiting the district and seeing its train stations when the two shared previous correspondence in the spring, according to a news release from Beck’s office.

The two visited Asbury Park, Long Branch and Red Bank stations.

 “Monmouth County is both a highly desirable vacation destination and a commuting hub, so our train stations play an invaluable role in our economy,” Beck [shown above, third from left] said in the release. “The executive director got to speak to local officials in each town and see first hand the condition of the stations.”

Topics discussed in Asbury Park included eliminating the need to transfer in Long Branch to reach points north and examining ways to shorten the commute to New York, a nearly two-hour trip.

Throughout the summer, NJ Transit is offering direct train service from Bay Head to New York on weekends and holidays through a pilot study. Members of the local business community have launched a petition to make the “one-seat” ride a year-round service.

What hinders NJ Transit from extending the service seems to be an issue of a refueling station in Bay Head and the increased number of trains the service would add to lines in New York.

“If we turned it into a seven-day-a week service, they have to have a fueling station and the people of Bay Head have concerns about having a fueling station,” said Asbury Park Councilwoman Amy Quinn, who attended the tour.

Nancy Snyder, spokesperson for NJ Transit, said there is a temporary refueling station in Bay Head to accommodate the pilot study, but the larger issue at hand is the logistical challenge associated with limited rail capacity going in and out of New York.

Only a certain amount of trains can fit into the slots in New York, which NJ Transit already shares with Amtrak, said Snyder.

Customer use during the weekend and holiday service pilot study is closely monitored by NJ Transit and will help guide NJ Transit they explore additional options for train service, she said.

“We match resources to meet customer demand throughout the state and periodically adjust service to meet demand,” Snyder said, adding that their customer base through out the state is in a period of growth and the North Jersey Coast Line is one of the more populated transit lines.

Issues discussed in Long Branch included the addition of train station signage throughout the town and improvements for pedestrians around the station itself.

In Red Bank, discussions on the status of the station’s historic renovation and the coordination of the station’s dedication to Justice Dan O’Hern took place.

“A variety of needs were discussed and Executive Director Hakim made it clear that NJ Transit would work closely with our towns to address them,” said Beck.

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