Congressmen secure funds to advance rail line study
The U.S. House of Representatives passed funding for the Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex (MOM) passenger rail line on Dec. 19, said Congressman Chris Smith (RN. J.) and Congressman Jim Saxton (R-N.J.), who had worked throughout the year to have the money included in the 2008 federal budget.

According to a press release from Smith and Saxton, the MOM Alternatives Analysis will receive nearly $1 million in the U.S. Department of Transportation budget, which passed the House by a vote of 272-142. Last spring, Smith and Saxton asked the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee to add the funds to the budget. The subcommittee approved the funds in July.

The MOM passenger rail line is expected to relieve traffic congestion in the region, the fastest growing area in central New Jersey. The MOM line would extend passenger rail service from New York City, Newark and other urban areas of northern New Jersey into central New Jersey, according to state and local planners.

"We are the most densely populated state in the nation and anyone who drives sees the congestion firsthand every day," Saxton said. "Passenger rail lines can improve commuting and transportation systems. This study examines a proposal that would create rail service between northern and southern New Jersey. Chris and I hope that the MOM rail line would cut down on automobiles on the road and give people travel options to get to their destinations."

"The MOM line is critical to relieving congestion and its related health problems in the three-county region of central New Jersey. I am committed to seeing this project through from start to finish, and this funding represents an important step forward. Winning the federal funding for the required state-conducted study continues our partnership on this project and brings us closer to making the MOM line a reality," Smith said.

According to the press release, Smith and Saxton helped authorize the project in 2004 legislation which authorized MOM and other federal transportation projects across the country. The bill allowed them to seek appropriations over six years.

The final potential stop of the MOM line (heading north to south) would be Lakehurst, Ocean County, which is home to a U.S. Navy base, the Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station, the largest employer in Ocean County. Lakehurst Navy base is situated adjacent to an Army base, Fort Dix, and an Air Force facility, McGuire Air Force Base, according to the press release.