 On August 13, 1999, construction began on the Montclair Connection, a track project that would connect the Boonton Line and Montclair Branch at Bay Street, along with electrifying the line up to Great Notch station.The project would allow direct service from Montclair Heights station to New York Penn Station.In early September 2002, New Jersey Transit announced that as part of the changes, the line would receive five morning inbound trains to New York, three evening outbound trains; three morning trains to Hoboken Terminal.