NJ Transit Rail Operations
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![]() NJ Transit provides rail service throughout northern New Jersey, between Philadelphia and Atlantic City in southern New Jersey, and in the lower Hudson Valley west of the Hudson River. | |
Overview | |
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Headquarters | 1 Penn Plaza East Newark, NJ 07105 |
Reporting mark | NJTR |
Locale | North and Central Jersey, White Horse Pike corridor, Hudson Valley |
Dates of operation | 1983–present |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Electrification | 12.5 kV 25 Hz AC Catenary 25 kV 60 Hz AC Catenary |
NJ Transit Rail Operations (reporting mark NJTR) is the rail division of NJ Transit. It operates commuter rail service in New Jersey, with most service centered on transportation to and from New York City, Hoboken, and Newark. NJ Transit also operates rail service in Orange and Rockland counties in New York under contract to Metro-North Railroad. The commuter rail lines had an average weekday ridership of 306,892 from June 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.[1], making it the second-busiest commuter railroad in North America as well as the longest by route length. This does not include NJ Transit's light rail operations.
Network and infrastructure[]
The lines operated by NJ Transit were formerly operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad, Central Railroad of New Jersey and New York and Long Branch Railroad and Erie Lackawanna Railroad, most of which date from the mid-19th century. From the 1960s onward, the New Jersey Department of Transportation began subsidizing the commuter lines. By 1976, the lines were all operated by Conrail under contract to NJDOT. The system took its current form in 1983, when NJ Transit took over all commuter service in New Jersey. The two networks were not integrated until the opening of Secaucus Junction in 2003 enabled passengers to transfer between lines bound for New York and Hoboken.
Lines[]
As of 2012, NJ Transit's commuter rail network consists of 11 lines and 164 stations,[2] primarily concentrated in northern New Jersey, with one line running between Atlantic City and Philadelphia.
Current lines[]
Operations are in two divisions:
- Hoboken Division, formerly operated by the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, runs from Hoboken Terminal or through Newark – Broad Street and includes Midtown Direct service via the Kearny Connection. Most station platforms are low-level.
- Newark Division, formerly operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad, Central Railroad of New Jersey and New York and Long Branch Railroad, operates through Newark Penn Station via the Northeast Corridor, with most trains continuing to New York Penn Station. This division also includes the Atlantic City Line formerly operated by the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. Most station platforms are high-level.
Lines | Terminals | ||
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Northeast Corridor Line | New York Penn Station | Trenton | |
Princeton Branch | Princeton Junction | Princeton | |
North Jersey Coast Line |
New York Penn Station (most trains) |
Long Branch (electric service) | |
Raritan Valley Line |
Newark Penn Station (most trains) |
High Bridge (limited weekday trains) | |
Atlantic City Line | Philadelphia 30th Street Station | Atlantic City Rail Terminal |
Lines | Terminals | ||
---|---|---|---|
Main Line | Hoboken Terminal | Suffern | |
Bergen County Line | |||
Pascack Valley Line | Spring Valley | ||
Port Jervis Line | Port Jervis | ||
Meadowlands Rail Line | Meadowlands | ||
Montclair-Boonton Line |
Hoboken Terminal (diesel and other electric service) |
Montclair State University (electric service) | |
Morristown Line |
Dover (electric service) | ||
Gladstone Branch | Gladstone |
Freight usage[]
Although NJ Transit itself does not carry freight, NJTR allows freight service to be operated over its lines via trackage rights agreements with several railroads. Conrail (CSAO), CSX, Norfolk Southern (NS) and several short lines (Cape May Seashore Lines (CMSL), Dover and Delaware River Railroad (DD), Morristown & Erie Railway (M&E), and Southern Railroad of New Jersey (SRNJ)) currently have trackage rights contracts to operate freight service on NJ Transit lines. The Morristown & Erie Railway can only use NJT trackage to get between its owned trackage; it cannot serve customers on NJ Transit trackage. A similar situation exists for Conrail on the Atlantic City Line.
Below is a list of NJ Transit lines and freight lines that operate on them:
- Morristown Line: DD, M&E
- Montclair-Boonton Line: DD, M&E
- Main Line: NS, M&E
- Bergen County Line: NS, M&E
- Pascack Valley Line: NS
- Raritan Valley Line: CSAO
- North Jersey Coast Line: CSAO
- Atlantic City Line: CSAO, SRNJ
Non-passenger lines[]
NJTR also owns several lines not used for regular passenger service. These lines were purchased by the New Jersey Department of Transportation in the late 1970s for railbanking purposes, with ownership transferring to NJ Transit upon its creation in 1979. These lines are either leased for freight/tourist service, interim rail trail use, or remain derelict:
- Harrison-Kingsland Branch: derelict
- Raritan Valley Line:
- High Bridge-Bloomsbury: NS
- Bloomsbury-Phillipsburg: trackage removed due to construction of Interstate 78 in 1989
- Red Bank -South Lakewood: Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO)
- Woodmansie-Winslow Junction: derelict
- Beesley's Point Secondary:
- Winslow Junction-Palmero/Beesley's Point: CSAO
- Palermo-Ocean City: leased to city of Ocean City in 1999 for use as interim Ocean City Bike Path rail trail
- Tuckahoe-Cape May: Cape May Seashore Lines, Southern Railroad of New Jersey
- HX Interlocking (Hackensack River)-Croxton Yard: realigned for Secaucus Junction, used as yard lead by NS
- Freehold-Farmingdale: derelict
- Freehold-Matawan: leased to Monmouth County Park System until 2020 as interim section of Henry Hudson Trail
Ownership[]
NJT owns most of its tracks, infrastructure, bridges, tunnels and signals. The exceptions are:
- Atlantic City Line – Philadelphia 30th Street Station to Frankford Junction (owned by Amtrak) and Frankford Junction to Pennsauken Delair Junction (owned by Conrail)
- Northeast Corridor Line – entire line except Morrisville Yard (owned by Amtrak)
- Port Jervis Line – Suffern to Port Jervis (owned by Norfolk Southern and leased by Metro-North)
- Raritan Valley Line – Aldene to Hunter (owned by Conrail)
- Montclair-Boonton Line – West of Netcong (owned by Norfolk Southern)
Yards and maintenance[]
NJ Transit's main storage and maintenance facility is the Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny, New Jersey. Other major yard facilities are located at Hoboken Terminal. Amtrak's Sunnyside Yard in Queens, New York serves as a layover facility for trains to New York Penn Station. Additional yards are located at outlying points along the lines. These include:[3]
- Main and Bergen County Lines:
- Waldwick Yard
- Suffern Yard
- Montclair-Boonton Line:
- Great Notch Yard, Little Falls
- Morris and Essex Lines:
- Gladstone Yard
- Summit Yard
- Dover Yard
- Port Morris Yard
- North Jersey Coast Line:
- Long Branch Yard
- Bay Head Yard
- Northeast Corridor:
- Morrisville Yard, Morrisville, PA (near the Trenton Transit Center)
- County Yard, New Brunswick (near Jersey Avenue)
- Hudson Yard, Harrison (Serves mostly Raritan Valley Line trains)
- Pascack Valley Line:
- Woodbine Yard, Spring Valley, NY
- Port Jervis Line:
- Port Jervis Yard, Port Jervis, NY
- Raritan Valley Line:
- Raritan Yard
- Hudson Yard, Harrison (Shared with Northeast Corridor)
NJT has a fleet of maintenance crews and vehicles that repair tracks, spread ballast, deliver supplies and inspect infrastructure. There are eight non-revenue work diesels used for these purposes.
Movable bridges[]
NJT utilizes numerous moveable bridges:
- Dock Bridge, Newark (Passaic River) – Northeast Corridor Line (vertical lift) (owned and operated by Amtrak)
- Portal Bridge, Secaucus (Hackensack River) – Northeast Corridor Line (swing) (owned and operated by Amtrak)
- Newark Draw, Newark (Passaic River) – Morristown Line (swing)
- Lower Hack Lift, Jersey City (Hackensack River) – Morristown Line (vertical lift)
- Upper Hack Lift, Secaucus (Hackensack River) – Main Line (vertical lift)
- HX Draw, Secaucus (Hackensack River) – Bergen County Line and Pascack Valley Line (bascule)
- Lyndhurst Draw, Lyndhurst (Passaic River) – Main Line (swing)
- River Draw, South Amboy (Raritan River) – North Jersey Coast Line (swing)
- Morgan Draw, Old Bridge (Cheesequake Creek) – North Jersey Coast Line (bascule)
- Oceanport Draw, Oceanport (Oceanport Creek) – North Jersey Coast Line (swing)
- Shark River Draw, Belmar (Shark River) – North Jersey Coast Line (bascule)
- Brielle Draw, Brielle (Manasquan River) – North Jersey Coast Line (bascule)
- Beach Bridge, Atlantic City (Beach Thorofare) – Atlantic City Line (swing)
- Delair Bridge, Pennsauken (Delaware River) – Atlantic City Line (vertical lift) (owned and operated by Conrail)
Rolling stock[]
![]() | This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience.(March 2021) |
Reporting marks[]
All NJ Transit Rail Operations equipment in both revenue and non-revenue service carry AAR reporting marks of NJTR without exception. Equipment owned by Metro-North carries AAR reporting marks MNCW without exception.
Locomotives[]
Active revenue[]
These locomotives carry NJTR reporting marks for revenue service. Not included are the EMU cars, which are technically locomotives, but are listed in the passenger cars roster below.
Builder and model | Photo | Numbers | Built | Acquired | Type | Amount Active | Power | Notes |
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EMD GP40PH-2 | ![]() |
4100, 4101, 4109 | 1968 | 1983 (inherited at inception) |
Diesel | 3 | 3,000 hp (2,237 kW) |
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EMD GP40PH-2B | ![]() |
4200–4219 | 1965–1969 | 1993–1994 | 20 | |||
EMD F40PH-2CAT | 4119, 4120 | 1981 | 2 |
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Bombardier ALP-46 | ![]() |
4600–4628 | 2001–2002 | Electric | 29 | 7,100 hp (5,294 kW) |
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Alstom PL42AC | ![]() |
4000–4032 | 2005–2006 | Diesel | 30 | 4,200 hp (3,132 kW) 3,680 hp (2,744 kW) available for traction |
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Bombardier ALP-46A |
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4629–4664 | 2010–2011 | Electric | 36 | 7,500 hp (5,593 kW) |
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Bombardier ALP-45DP |
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4500–4534 | 2011–2012 | Dual-mode (electric and diesel)[7] |
35 | Electric mode 5,365 hp (4,001 kW) Diesel mode 4,200 hp (3,132 kW) 3,000 hp (2,237 kW) available for traction |
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4535-4559 | 2020– |
Retired revenue[]
Builder and model | Photo | Numbers | Built | Acquired | Retired | Type | Power | Notes |
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EMD F40PH-2CAT | ![]() |
4113–4118, 4121-4129 | 1981 | 2014 | Diesel | 3,000 hp (2,237 kW) |
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GE U34CH | ![]() |
4151-4183 | 1970–1971 | 1976 | 1994 | 3,600 hp (2,700 kW) |
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EMD GP40FH-2 | ![]() |
4130–4144 | 1966–1967 | 1987 | 2012 | 3,000 hp (2,237 kW) |
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EMD GP40PH-2A | ![]() |
4145–4150 | 1967–1971 | 1992–1993 | 2014 |
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GE P40DC | ![]() |
4800-4803 | 1993 | 2007 | 2015 | 4,250 hp (3,170 kW) |
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ABB ALP-44O | ![]() |
4400–4414 | 1989 | 1990 | 2011 | Electric | 7000 hp (5.2 MW) |
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ABB ALP-44E | ![]() |
4415–4419 | 1995 | 2012 | ||||
ABB ALP-44M | ![]() |
4420–4431 | 1996 | 2011 | ||||
GE E60CH | 958-973 | 1973 | 1984 | 1998 | 6,000 hp (4.5 MW) |
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GE/Altoona Works GG1 | ![]() |
4872-4884 | 1934-1943 | N/A | 1983 | 4,620 hp (3,450 kW)-8,500 hp (6,300 kW) |
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EMD F7A | 417-418, 420, 422-425 | 1949-1952 | 1984 | Diesel | 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) | |||
EMD E8A | ![]() |
4246, 4248-4249, 4251, 4253, 4256-4258, 4267, 4272, 4285, 4305, 4320-4328, 4330-4334 | 1950-1953 | N/A | 2,250 hp (1,678 kW) |
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EMD F40PHR | 270, 274, 293, 302, 311, 400 | 1975-1992 | 2003 | 2005 | 3,000–3,200 hp (2.2–2.4 MW) |
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Non-revenue[]
All non-revenue locomotives are diesel-powered and legally carry the same "NJTR" AAR reporting marks as all other equipment without exception. As these locomotives lack HEP, they do not haul trains in passenger service unless performing a rescue.
Model | Numbers | Year(s) | Notes |
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EMD GP40-2 | 4300–4303 | 1965–1968 | Ex-Conrail and New York Central. |
EMD GP40PH-2 | 4102-4108, 4110-4112 | 1968 |
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MotivePower MP20B-3 | 1001–1005 | 2008 | Rebuilt from 1967 EMD GP40FH-2s 4130–4134. |
Passenger cars[]
NJ Transit has a fleet of over 1,000 passenger cars. The fleet and examples are described below.
Except for the Comet II (which are all trailers), all examples shown are cab cars leading or on the tail end of trains.
Car groupings are, except for the Arrow III MUs, arranged in the following order: cab cars, trailers with lavatories, and trailers without lavatories, where applicable.
Single Arrow III MU's are GE Model MA-1J, married pairs are GE Model MA-1H. NJ Transit also leased 10 MARC coaches in 2018 to alleviate an equipment shortage.[9]
Builder and model |
Photo | Numbers | Total | Built | Rebuilt (rebuilder) |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GE Arrow III |
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1304–1333 (singles) 1334–1533 (pairs) |
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1977 | 1992–1995 (ABB) |
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Bombardier Comet II |
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5300–5460 |
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1982–1989 | 1999–2003 (AAI/Alstom) |
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Bombardier Comet IV |
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5011–5031, 5235–5264, 5535–5582 |
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1996 |
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Alstom Comet V |
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6000–6083, 6200–6213, 6500–6601 |
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2002–2004 |
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Bombardier MultiLevel Coach |
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7000–7051, 7200–7298, 7500–7677 |
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2006–2010 |
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Bombardier MultiLevel Coach II | ![]() |
7052–7061, 7678–7767 |
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2012–2013 | ||
Bombardier MultiLevel Coach III | ? | 2022-2023 |
Stations[]
NJ Transit provides passenger service on 12 lines at total of 165 stations, some operated conjunction with Amtrak and Metro North (MNCW).[17]
References[]
- ^ "NJ Transit Facts at a Glance" (PDF). New Jersey Transit. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
- ^ "NJ Transit Facts at a Glance Fiscal Year 2012" (PDF). NJ Transit. March 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
- ^ Rouse, Karen (November 16, 2012). "NJ Transit's rail fleet hit hard by storm". The Record. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- ^ "NJ Transit to order more electro-diesels". International Rail Journal. December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Nj Transit".
- ^ Bombardier hands over first ALP-46A
- ^ Bombardier Press release
- ^ "NJ Transit to order more electro-diesels". International Rail Journal. December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ "NJ Transit leasing cars from Maryland" (Press release). News 12 New Jersey. May 1, 2018.
- ^ "First Multilevel Train Debuts on Northeast Corridor" (Press release). NJ Transit. December 11, 2006. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
- ^ "NJ Transit Orders 45 Additional Multilevel Rail Cars" (Press release). NJ Transit. June 13, 2007. Retrieved June 13, 2007.
- ^ NJT Purchases 50 Additional Multilevel Rail Cars
- ^ Transit approves capital and operating budgets Asbury Park Press. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
- ^ News - Media Centre - Bombardier
- ^ "NJ Transit pays $267M to purchase 100 new rail cars". Associated Press. September 2, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "NJ Transit orders double-deck EMUs from Bombardier". Railway Gazette International. December 13, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
- ^ "New Jersey Transit At A Glance" (PDF). New Jersey Transit. 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to New Jersey Transit rail operations. |
- Transportation in the New York metropolitan area
- NJ Transit Rail Operations
- Electric railways in New Jersey
- Electric railways in Pennsylvania
- Electric railways in New York (state)
- Railway services introduced in 1983
- Commuter rail in the United States
- Standard gauge railways in the United States
- 1983 establishments in New Jersey