Hudson  & Manhattan  Railroad Company
 

1948 Annual Report
 

The Railroad
 

On the back cover of this report is a map of
the full extent of the rail services of the Hudson
Tubes. The entire trackage is only 21.48 miles.
Nevertheless this little railroad, connecting
three adjoining cities (plus the joint service to
a fourth) has most of the complexities and prob¬
lems of a major line. What other railroads have
four underwater tunnels each approximately a
mile in length? As a connecting link between
two states, your Company is subject to regula¬
tory bodies of both plus the Interstate Com¬
merce Commission, Being a commuter line
means that the greatest part of the traffic
occurs in one great surge toward New York
City in the morning and another returning at
night. And since the road carries no freight,
the passenger traffic—the "red-i!ik department"
of most railroads—must bear the entire cost of
operations. The carrying of passengers only
also means that safety must at all times be the
Company's foremost consideration as it is that
of the various authorities. All of this adds up to
the fact that operating the Hudson Tubes is not
as simple a matter as it may appear.

With its full responsibility to the public in
mind at all times, the Company has during
recent months made good progress in increasing

the efficiency and economy of rail
Economies     operations.    In all, the aggregate

of savings effected during the past
year and anticipated for the near future is about
$800,000 per annum. Among those already
achieved, which will become evident in the 1949
monthly financial reports, are the following from
 

reductions in force, reduction of overtime and
Sunday work and improvements in methods:

ylnnual Rale oj
Class                                          Savings Efected

Station Agents...................    $ 52,000

Gatemen and Ticket Examiners, , . .       49,000

Platform Men....................       39,000

Information Clerk................         3,000

Power Rail Men..................         7,000

Electricians (Way and Structures). .       16,000

Car Shop Forces..................       76,000

Signal Department Force..........       20,000

Track Forces.....................       28,000

Porters..........................       49,000

Total........................    5339,000

There are two entrances approximately two
blocks apart to the station of the Company at
Grove and Henderson Streets, Jersey City.
The Henderson Street entrance is little used
except during certain times of the day, and the
Company hopes to secure permission from the
Board of Public Utility Commissioners of New
Jersey to close this entrance between 10 P.M.
and 6 A.M. weekdays and all day Sundays and
holidays. If permission is granted, a yearly
saving of over $4,000 will be made. The relo¬
cation of turnstiles and the agents' booth on the
street level at Exchange Place will save another
$7,000 per year. Automatic fare control units
are on hand for installation on the northbound
side of the 14th, 19th and 23rd Street Stations,
and the Company anticipates an annual payroll
saving therefrom of nearly $30,000.

However, much of the good work done by
the Company in effecting savings has been
nullified by wage increases. Although these
increases were limited to the pattern set through-
 

The purchase of a motor-crane has

improved efficiency at the Henderson

Street car-repair shops.