Kingsland (NJT station)
Encyclopedia
Kingsland Station is a railroad station on New Jersey Transit
's Main Line
. It is located under Ridge Road (New Jersey Route 17) between New York and Valley Brook Avenues in Lyndhurst, New Jersey
, United States
, and is one of two stations in Lyndhurst. The station is not staffed, and passengers use ticket vending machines (TVMs) which are located at street level to purchase tickets. The station is not handicapped-accessible. Originally part of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
's Boonton Branch
, Kingsland station was built in 1903. The design of the station depot located above the tracks was later replicated by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western's Montclair Branch for its Watsessing Avenue station
in Bloomfield, New Jersey
.
-bound side has a third track that heads through the platform, the western leg of a wye
used for the Harrison Cut-Off, built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
. Above ground, the station is provided with just nineteen spaces of parking, none of which are built for handicapped persons, and cost nothing to use on a daily basis. Parking is also provided by New Jersey Transit on Route 17 under short term limits.
A shelter provides the two ticket vending machines located on street-level. The station is serviced by New Jersey Transit's Main Line
every day and has connections via the Route 76 run by New Jersey Transit Bus Operations
. On weekdays, the first train to serve the Kingsland station heads to Hoboken Terminal, stopping at 5:41 AM, while the last is Train #1101 heading to Suffern, stopping at Kingsland at 1:48 the next morning. Trains from Kingsland to Hoboken average 20 minutes and Kingsland to Suffern averages 55 minutes. On weekends, the first train to serve Kingsland starting in Port Jervis
, stopping at Kingsland at 6:59 AM. The last train, to Suffern, arrives at 1:48 AM the next morning.
of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
was first constructed as a freight bypass of the Morris & Essex Railroad in 1868. This was constructed due to the lack of freight along its passenger lines and stretched from the Denville station
to Hoboken Terminal
via Boonton
and Paterson
. The line had shops at Kingsland, built in 1868 for the purpose of repairing, restoring and re-erecting train cars and locomotives for the line. In 1875, shop equipment from Hoboken was moved over to Kingsland. However, just seven years later, the machine shop, also the main building of the shops, caught fire and was completely destroyed. However, despite the fire, the structure was immediately reconstructed for use. During this time, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western used a small house as a station depot.
When the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western expanded the Kingsland Shops in 1903, a new station depot was constructed of brick along with a cut and cover tunnel. The tunnel itself cost $71,500 (1903 USD) and permitted the local street, Schuyler Avenue to cross over the rail line. The new station depot was built on Ridge Road over the tracks, with platforms crossing over the new bridge. The station design was later replicated on the Montclair Branch for Bloomfield's
Watsessing Avenue station
in 1912.
In 1917, the railroad was brought in front of the Board of Public Utility Commissioners due to an accident on November 28, 1916, at Kingsland station. Passenger train No. 582, a special train for employees of the Canadian Car Company, had near stopped at Kingsland station. The train never left at any defined time, although averaged around 6:30 in the evening. However, around 6:30 that evening, Train No. 479 came in twelve minutes late at a high rate of speed, and as a result could not slow down fast enough to avoid hitting passengers. At that time, the station had no inter-track fencing to prevent crossing of both Boonton Branch tracks, and because of this, people could board trains from either platform. That day the engineer of Train No. 479 was unable to see the platform or the special train, and due to the lack of signals, was devoid of knowing anything until leaving the west portal of Kingsland Tunnel. However, signals were set for west-bound trains if said problems were to occur. After the accident, the Lackawanna was requested by the board to install a westbound signal to prevent further accidents, while the Canadian Car Company moved their boarding to the company's rail siding.
and Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad merged on October 17, 1960, replaced by the Erie-Lackawanna Railway. Since 1949 the Erie Railroad had been dealing with the city of Passaic, New Jersey
about its double track mainline through the city via Rutherford
. Due to the high cost of removing the main line with no back-up service, it was unable to progress forward, and as a result, the Erie built some new stations to replace old wooden ones in 1952. With the railroad merge in 1960, the Erie–Lackawanna had the Boonton Branch that also served Passaic, and on August 23, 1960, with pressure from the New Jersey Department of Transportation
to go ahead with it, a deal was struck between the city of Passaic and the railroad. A new connection was to be made via the Erie's old Newark Branch to connect the Boonton Branch to the old Erie main at South Paterson. The old Erie main line through Passaic was abandoned at a ceremony on April 2, 1963, when service was terminated and service. Trains were re-routed via a "new" main line, using the Boonton Branch from Kingsland to Athenia.
The remainder of the Boonton Branch was steadily decommissioned through 1963, as the New Jersey Department of Transportation requested the Boonton Branch's alignment through Paterson as part of Interstate 80
and New Jersey Route 21 through Passaic near BE Drawbridge and the Passaic Park station
. This was turned over to the Department of Transportation on October 27, 1963, after a connection was constructed at Mountain View
to the Erie's former New York and Greenwood Lake Railroad. The stretch from Paterson Junction to Totowa, including the Paterson High Bridge built in 1902, was abandoned and soon dismantled. However, despite the changes, the Erie–Lackawanna continued to lose strength and in 1975, agreed to become of the Consolidated Rail Corporation
, dubbed Conrail, which took effect on April 1, 1976.
. On September 20, 2002, as part of the Montclair Connection
, merging the Montclair Branch and Boonton Line, the Arlington station
in Kearny
was closed, resulting in the lack of a station in Kearny. As a result, a rail shuttle bus was formed by the town of Kearny to bus passengers from Arlington station up to Kingsland via Route 76 bus route, giving rail passenger service to New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal. Shuttle buses were aligned at that time with the 5:02 AM, 6:03 PM and 7:08 PM. Services were adjusted for the timetable services on September 30, 2002.
On June 22, 2010, the town of Lyndhurst put forward the proposal to buy the station depots at both Kingsland and sister Lyndhurst stations
. The mayor of Lyndhurst, Richard DiLascio, said that the stations have seen better days and New Jersey Transit has no interest in renovating both buildings, rather selling both at a fee to the town of Lyndhurst. Design plans for Kingsland station look towards a new coffee shop, after repairing and renovating the building. The station would also be converted from its old subway tile to a newer retro look for the building, paid for by leasing the building. Because an average of 440 to over 1,000 people use the Kingsland station daily, it would look better for the town of Lyndhurst to make a good impression on the riders.
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
's Main Line
Main Line (NJ Transit)
The Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by New Jersey Transit running from Suffern, New York to Hoboken, New Jersey. It runs daily commuter service and was once the north-south main line of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad...
. It is located under Ridge Road (New Jersey Route 17) between New York and Valley Brook Avenues in Lyndhurst, New Jersey
Lyndhurst, New Jersey
Lyndhurst is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 20,554.Lyndhurst was originally formed as Union Township on February 19, 1852 from portions of Harrison Township...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and is one of two stations in Lyndhurst. The station is not staffed, and passengers use ticket vending machines (TVMs) which are located at street level to purchase tickets. The station is not handicapped-accessible. Originally part of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
's Boonton Branch
Boonton Branch
The Boonton Branch refers to the railroad line that was completed in 1870 and ran 34 miles from Hoboken, NJ to Denville, NJ as part of the Morris & Essex Railroad, which in turn was part of the Lackawanna Railroad...
, Kingsland station was built in 1903. The design of the station depot located above the tracks was later replicated by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western's Montclair Branch for its Watsessing Avenue station
Watsessing Avenue (NJT station)
Watsessing Avenue is a New Jersey Transit station in Bloomfield, New Jersey along the Montclair-Boonton Line. It is located beneath the Bloomfield Police Benevolent Association meeting hall near the corner of Watsessing Avenue and Orange Street in Bloomfield...
in Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
.
Station layout and services
Kingsland Station is located on a bridge over the Main Line on New Jersey Route 17, near the intersection with Milton Road. The station depot is located above the tracks, which has a short tunnel leading down stairs to the two side platforms. The station platform on the Hoboken TerminalHoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
-bound side has a third track that heads through the platform, the western leg of a wye
Wye
Wye is a historic village in Kent, England, located some from Canterbury, and is also the main village in the civil parish of Wye with Hinxhill...
used for the Harrison Cut-Off, built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
. Above ground, the station is provided with just nineteen spaces of parking, none of which are built for handicapped persons, and cost nothing to use on a daily basis. Parking is also provided by New Jersey Transit on Route 17 under short term limits.
A shelter provides the two ticket vending machines located on street-level. The station is serviced by New Jersey Transit's Main Line
Main Line (NJ Transit)
The Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by New Jersey Transit running from Suffern, New York to Hoboken, New Jersey. It runs daily commuter service and was once the north-south main line of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad...
every day and has connections via the Route 76 run by New Jersey Transit Bus Operations
New Jersey Transit Bus Operations
New Jersey Transit Bus Operations is the bus division of New Jersey Transit, providing bus service throughout New Jersey along with service along one light rail line, with many routes going to New York City and Philadelphia.-History:...
. On weekdays, the first train to serve the Kingsland station heads to Hoboken Terminal, stopping at 5:41 AM, while the last is Train #1101 heading to Suffern, stopping at Kingsland at 1:48 the next morning. Trains from Kingsland to Hoboken average 20 minutes and Kingsland to Suffern averages 55 minutes. On weekends, the first train to serve Kingsland starting in Port Jervis
Port Jervis (Metro-North station)
The Port Jervis Metro-North station serves the residents of that city and surrounding communities. It is the western terminus of the Port Jervis Line, with trains taking New York City-bound passengers there via Hoboken and Secaucus Junction...
, stopping at Kingsland at 6:59 AM. The last train, to Suffern, arrives at 1:48 AM the next morning.
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Boonton BranchBoonton Branch
The Boonton Branch refers to the railroad line that was completed in 1870 and ran 34 miles from Hoboken, NJ to Denville, NJ as part of the Morris & Essex Railroad, which in turn was part of the Lackawanna Railroad...
of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
was first constructed as a freight bypass of the Morris & Essex Railroad in 1868. This was constructed due to the lack of freight along its passenger lines and stretched from the Denville station
Denville (NJT station)
Denville Station is a large New Jersey Transit station in Denville, New Jersey. Located on Estling Road in Denville, the three-platform station serves both the Morristown Line and the Montclair-Boonton Line serve this station, with service to Hoboken or to New York City via Midtown Direct...
to Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
via Boonton
Boonton, New Jersey
Boonton is a town in Morris County, New Jersey that was chartered in 1867. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 8,347. The town was originally called "Boone-Towne" in 1761 in honor of the Colonial Governor Thomas Boone....
and Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
. The line had shops at Kingsland, built in 1868 for the purpose of repairing, restoring and re-erecting train cars and locomotives for the line. In 1875, shop equipment from Hoboken was moved over to Kingsland. However, just seven years later, the machine shop, also the main building of the shops, caught fire and was completely destroyed. However, despite the fire, the structure was immediately reconstructed for use. During this time, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western used a small house as a station depot.
When the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western expanded the Kingsland Shops in 1903, a new station depot was constructed of brick along with a cut and cover tunnel. The tunnel itself cost $71,500 (1903 USD) and permitted the local street, Schuyler Avenue to cross over the rail line. The new station depot was built on Ridge Road over the tracks, with platforms crossing over the new bridge. The station design was later replicated on the Montclair Branch for Bloomfield's
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
Watsessing Avenue station
Watsessing Avenue (NJT station)
Watsessing Avenue is a New Jersey Transit station in Bloomfield, New Jersey along the Montclair-Boonton Line. It is located beneath the Bloomfield Police Benevolent Association meeting hall near the corner of Watsessing Avenue and Orange Street in Bloomfield...
in 1912.
In 1917, the railroad was brought in front of the Board of Public Utility Commissioners due to an accident on November 28, 1916, at Kingsland station. Passenger train No. 582, a special train for employees of the Canadian Car Company, had near stopped at Kingsland station. The train never left at any defined time, although averaged around 6:30 in the evening. However, around 6:30 that evening, Train No. 479 came in twelve minutes late at a high rate of speed, and as a result could not slow down fast enough to avoid hitting passengers. At that time, the station had no inter-track fencing to prevent crossing of both Boonton Branch tracks, and because of this, people could board trains from either platform. That day the engineer of Train No. 479 was unable to see the platform or the special train, and due to the lack of signals, was devoid of knowing anything until leaving the west portal of Kingsland Tunnel. However, signals were set for west-bound trains if said problems were to occur. After the accident, the Lackawanna was requested by the board to install a westbound signal to prevent further accidents, while the Canadian Car Company moved their boarding to the company's rail siding.
Erie–Lackawanna Railroad and the Passaic Plan
After several years of sharing railroad facilities, the Erie RailroadErie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
and Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad merged on October 17, 1960, replaced by the Erie-Lackawanna Railway. Since 1949 the Erie Railroad had been dealing with the city of Passaic, New Jersey
Passaic, New Jersey
Passaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781, maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents from the 2000 Census population of 67,861...
about its double track mainline through the city via Rutherford
Rutherford, New Jersey
Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 18,061. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
. Due to the high cost of removing the main line with no back-up service, it was unable to progress forward, and as a result, the Erie built some new stations to replace old wooden ones in 1952. With the railroad merge in 1960, the Erie–Lackawanna had the Boonton Branch that also served Passaic, and on August 23, 1960, with pressure from the New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
to go ahead with it, a deal was struck between the city of Passaic and the railroad. A new connection was to be made via the Erie's old Newark Branch to connect the Boonton Branch to the old Erie main at South Paterson. The old Erie main line through Passaic was abandoned at a ceremony on April 2, 1963, when service was terminated and service. Trains were re-routed via a "new" main line, using the Boonton Branch from Kingsland to Athenia.
The remainder of the Boonton Branch was steadily decommissioned through 1963, as the New Jersey Department of Transportation requested the Boonton Branch's alignment through Paterson as part of Interstate 80
Interstate 80 in New Jersey
Interstate 80 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States, running from the New York City Metropolitan Area westward to San Francisco, California...
and New Jersey Route 21 through Passaic near BE Drawbridge and the Passaic Park station
Passaic Park (Erie Railroad station)
Passaic Park Station was a former railroad station for the Erie Railroad's main line in Passaic, New Jersey. The station was located in between the Carlton Hill station and the Prospect Street station...
. This was turned over to the Department of Transportation on October 27, 1963, after a connection was constructed at Mountain View
Mountain View (NJT station)
Mountain View Station, signed on the platform as Mountain View–Wayne, is a station maintained by New Jersey Transit in Wayne, New Jersey. The station is located on the Montclair-Boonton Line, a merge of the Boonton Line and Montclair Branch in 2002. Prior to the Montclair Connection in 2002, ...
to the Erie's former New York and Greenwood Lake Railroad. The stretch from Paterson Junction to Totowa, including the Paterson High Bridge built in 1902, was abandoned and soon dismantled. However, despite the changes, the Erie–Lackawanna continued to lose strength and in 1975, agreed to become of the Consolidated Rail Corporation
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
, dubbed Conrail, which took effect on April 1, 1976.
New Jersey Transit
In January 1983, Consolidated Rail Corporation handed over operation of the commuter railroads to New Jersey Transit Rail OperationsNew Jersey Transit rail operations
New Jersey Transit Rail Operations is the rail division of New Jersey Transit. It provides regional rail service in New Jersey, with most service centered around transportation to and from New York City, Hoboken, and Newark...
. On September 20, 2002, as part of the Montclair Connection
Montclair Connection
The Montclair Connection is a short section of double-track New Jersey Transit rail connecting the former end of the Montclair Branch at Bay Street Station to the old Boonton Line southeast of Walnut Street Station. It opened on Monday, September 30, 2002, at a cost of $60,000,000...
, merging the Montclair Branch and Boonton Line, the Arlington station
Arlington (NJT station)
The Arlington Station is an abandoned train station that is located in the town of Kearny, New Jersey. The station was a former stop on the Boonton Line, which runs from Hoboken Terminal to Hackettstown...
in Kearny
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
was closed, resulting in the lack of a station in Kearny. As a result, a rail shuttle bus was formed by the town of Kearny to bus passengers from Arlington station up to Kingsland via Route 76 bus route, giving rail passenger service to New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal. Shuttle buses were aligned at that time with the 5:02 AM, 6:03 PM and 7:08 PM. Services were adjusted for the timetable services on September 30, 2002.
On June 22, 2010, the town of Lyndhurst put forward the proposal to buy the station depots at both Kingsland and sister Lyndhurst stations
Lyndhurst (NJT station)
Lyndhurst Station is a New Jersey Transit rail station located off of New York Avenue in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. The station is one of two in Lyndhurst, the other being Kingsland Station...
. The mayor of Lyndhurst, Richard DiLascio, said that the stations have seen better days and New Jersey Transit has no interest in renovating both buildings, rather selling both at a fee to the town of Lyndhurst. Design plans for Kingsland station look towards a new coffee shop, after repairing and renovating the building. The station would also be converted from its old subway tile to a newer retro look for the building, paid for by leasing the building. Because an average of 440 to over 1,000 people use the Kingsland station daily, it would look better for the town of Lyndhurst to make a good impression on the riders.