Dinky scheduled to resume service May 12, before Dean's date

NJ Transit has announced that the Dinky will return to service on May 12.

The Dinky’s return was formerly slated for May 24. This new date will allow students moving out of their dorms for the summer shortly after Dean’s Date on May 14 and during the spring term examination period to fully use Dinky services.

According to a press release from NJ Transit, the organization has “accelerated the restoration of services.” They also noted that during the time before the Dinky’s return “test trains and rail equipment will begin to operate on the tracks.”

The Dinky line was “temporarily discontinued” on Oct. 14. Its return was scheduled for January, and then rescheduled until an indefinite date in the second quarter of 2019.

The reason NJ Transit initially gave for the Dinky’s suspension was to install Positive Train Control. Those changes were completed in December. In a meeting on Feb. 19, NJ Transit officials said the reason for the additional delay was a lack of engineers.

The buses that have been shuttling between the University campus and Princeton Junction as a substitute for the Dinky have occasionally stirred up discontent. Common complaints voiced by the student body included discomfort and delays, both stemming directly from their reduced carrying capacity as compared to the train.