Secaucus Junction
Encyclopedia
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station (known as Secaucus Transfer during planning stages) is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey
. It serves trains from nine New Jersey Transit
lines.
Opened on December 15, 2003, the $450 million, 312,000 ft² (29,000 m²) station sits atop the spot where Hoboken Terminal
-bound tracks pass under New York Penn Station-bound tracks. This allows travelers to switch trains more conveniently and save roughly 15 minutes traveling to Midtown Manhattan
.
The station was named after Senator Frank Lautenberg
, who had worked to allocate federal funds for the project.
and the Atlantic City Line
, which operate only in the southern part of New Jersey; Raritan Valley Line
trains, which terminate at Newark Penn Station; and Gladstone Branch
Midtown Direct trains, which pass through the station without stopping.)
Before Secaucus Junction was built, commuters on non-electrified lines to Hoboken Terminal
had to use PATH trains
or ferries to reach Manhattan
and other points in New York City
. Commuters whose trains terminated at New York Penn Station could connect to subway services
but had to go to a PATH station in order to reach Hoboken (apart from Morristown Line
riders).
The two-track Northeast Corridor
mainline embankment was expanded to three tracks for a mile on each side of the station and to four tracks through the station itself, allowing Amtrak and nonstop NJT trains to pass stopped trains. The two-track Bergen County Line was re-aligned southwestward next to the two-track Main Line to pass through the station on the four-track lower level. On weekdays, the station's lower level sees 79 westbound trains from Hoboken, while the upper level sees 164 westbound NJ Transit trains and 51 Amtrak trains (plus the triweekly Cardinal), according to public timetables as of April 3, 2011. Some NJ Transit and all Amtrak trains pass without stopping.
The construction required the bodies from the Hudson County Burial Grounds
to be disinterred and moved to another cemetery.
In 2005, New Jersey Turnpike
Exit 15X was opened to provide easier access to the station from the surrounding area. 15X is the least-used interchange on the New Jersey Turnpike, partly due to a lack of parking at the junction.
The station was built with little public parking, as NJT believed few passenger trips would originate at the transfer point. But New Jersey Transit officials have since judged this a mistake (the station is at a major passenger rail intersection and next to a major highway) and have considered building a parking garage on station property. On June 1, 2009, Edison Parkfast, a private company, opened the first parking lot near the station, with space for 1,094 cars. Bicycle parking is also available.
Secaucus Junction's large volume of service has made it attractive for alternative rail routings. Beginning on July 26, 2009, New Jersey Transit began offering frequent shuttle service to the Meadowlands Station
at the Meadowlands Sports Complex
with the station serving as a major transfer point for passengers coming from New York City and other areas in New Jersey. Also since 2009, Secaucus Junction serves trains coming from Metro-North's New Haven Line for connecting trains to football games at the Meadowlands. The service will only run for Giants and Jets games with 1 pm kickoffs on Sundays.
Despite its name, Secaucus Junction is not a true junction
, in which trains can be switched between lines; there is no rail connection between the upper and lower levels. It would be more accurately called Secaucus Transfer or the Secaucus Connection, since it allows passengers to change trains rather than allowing trains to change direction.
Secaucus Junction has two platform levels connected by a third level on top.
reported that Mayor Michael Bloomberg
's administration was working on a plan to bring the 7 train service of the New York City Subway
to Secaucus Junction. An extension of that service
, from its current terminus at Times Square – 42nd Street, to a new station at Eleventh Avenue and 34th Street, is already under construction.
If built, the extension would take the New York City Subway outside the city's borders for the first time. The plan would replace the Access to the Region's Core tunnel, which was canceled by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in October 2010. It would offer a direct route to Grand Central Terminal
on the east side of Manhattan, while connecting with most other subway routes. New York City spent $250,000 for a consultant to conduct feasibility studies for the project, however no design work has commenced, nor have financing arrangements have been made. On October 26, 2011, New York City Mayor Bloomberg reiterated his support for the project, while New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also expressed general concurrence.
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and...
. It serves trains from nine New Jersey Transit
New 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...
lines.
Opened on December 15, 2003, the $450 million, 312,000 ft² (29,000 m²) station sits atop the spot where 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...
-bound tracks pass under New York Penn Station-bound tracks. This allows travelers to switch trains more conveniently and save roughly 15 minutes traveling to Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
.
The station was named after Senator Frank Lautenberg
Frank Lautenberg
Frank Raleigh Lautenberg is the senior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automatic Data Processing, Inc.-Early life, career, and family:...
, who had worked to allocate federal funds for the project.
Purpose and history
Unlike other New Jersey Transit rail stations, Secaucus Junction was built primarily as a transfer point; it allows passengers to transfer between trains on nine of the system's commuter rail lines. (The lines that do not stop at the station are the Princeton BranchPrinceton Branch
The Princeton Branch is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line is a short branch of the Northeast Corridor Line, running from Princeton Junction northwest to Princeton with no intermediate stops...
and the Atlantic City Line
Atlantic City Line
The Atlantic City Line is a rail line operated by New Jersey Transit between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, New Jersey, operating along the corridor of the White Horse Pike. It runs over trackage that was controlled by both the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Pennsylvania-Reading...
, which operate only in the southern part of New Jersey; Raritan Valley Line
Raritan Valley Line
The Raritan Valley Line is a diesel-engine-powered commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit , originating out of Pennsylvania Station, located in Newark, New Jersey, with most trains terminating at the Raritan station, located in Raritan, New Jersey.Some weekday trains continue further...
trains, which terminate at Newark Penn Station; and Gladstone Branch
Gladstone Branch
The Gladstone Branch is a branch of New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines. The Gladstone Branch primarily serves commuter trains; freight service is no longer operated...
Midtown Direct trains, which pass through the station without stopping.)
Before Secaucus Junction was built, commuters on non-electrified lines 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...
had to use PATH trains
Port Authority Trans-Hudson
PATH, derived from Port Authority Trans-Hudson, is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York City with Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City in metropolitan northern New Jersey...
or ferries to reach Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and other points in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Commuters whose trains terminated at New York Penn Station could connect to subway services
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
but had to go to a PATH station in order to reach Hoboken (apart from Morristown Line
Morristown Line
The Morristown Line is one of New Jersey Transit's commuter lines and is one of two branches that run along the Morris and Essex Lines. Out of 60 inbound and 58 outbound daily weekday trains, 28 inbound and 26 outbound trains use the Kearny Connection to Secaucus Junction and New York Penn...
riders).
The two-track Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
mainline embankment was expanded to three tracks for a mile on each side of the station and to four tracks through the station itself, allowing Amtrak and nonstop NJT trains to pass stopped trains. The two-track Bergen County Line was re-aligned southwestward next to the two-track Main Line to pass through the station on the four-track lower level. On weekdays, the station's lower level sees 79 westbound trains from Hoboken, while the upper level sees 164 westbound NJ Transit trains and 51 Amtrak trains (plus the triweekly Cardinal), according to public timetables as of April 3, 2011. Some NJ Transit and all Amtrak trains pass without stopping.
The construction required the bodies from the Hudson County Burial Grounds
Hudson County Burial Grounds
The Hudson County Burial Grounds are also known as the Secaucus Potter's Field and Snake Hill Cemetery and it is located in Secaucus, New Jersey. The cemetery was cleared of bodies to make room for the Secaucus Transfer Station between 1992-2003...
to be disinterred and moved to another cemetery.
In 2005, New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
Exit 15X was opened to provide easier access to the station from the surrounding area. 15X is the least-used interchange on the New Jersey Turnpike, partly due to a lack of parking at the junction.
The station was built with little public parking, as NJT believed few passenger trips would originate at the transfer point. But New Jersey Transit officials have since judged this a mistake (the station is at a major passenger rail intersection and next to a major highway) and have considered building a parking garage on station property. On June 1, 2009, Edison Parkfast, a private company, opened the first parking lot near the station, with space for 1,094 cars. Bicycle parking is also available.
Secaucus Junction's large volume of service has made it attractive for alternative rail routings. Beginning on July 26, 2009, New Jersey Transit began offering frequent shuttle service to the Meadowlands Station
Meadowlands (NJT station)
Meadowlands Sports Complex Station, or Meadowlands Station, is New Jersey Transit train station that is the western teminus for the Meadowlands Rail Line located at the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey....
at the Meadowlands Sports Complex
Meadowlands Sports Complex
The MetLife Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in East Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority...
with the station serving as a major transfer point for passengers coming from New York City and other areas in New Jersey. Also since 2009, Secaucus Junction serves trains coming from Metro-North's New Haven Line for connecting trains to football games at the Meadowlands. The service will only run for Giants and Jets games with 1 pm kickoffs on Sundays.
Station layout
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
, in which trains can be switched between lines; there is no rail connection between the upper and lower levels. It would be more accurately called Secaucus Transfer or the Secaucus Connection, since it allows passengers to change trains rather than allowing trains to change direction.
Secaucus Junction has two platform levels connected by a third level on top.
- The bottom level lacks electrification and has four tracks and two island platforms serving the Bergen County Line, Main Line, Pascack Valley Line, and Meadowlands Line trains.
- The middle level is electrified and serves trains to and from New York Penn Station with four tracks and three platforms: two side platforms serving Tracks 2 and 3 and one island platform serving Tracks A and B.
- The upper level of the station acts as a concourse for switching passengers. To transfer between trains on different levels, passengers climb to the concourse, pass through ticket gates, and descend to their destination platforms. At the center of this level is a 30 ft-high (10m) steelSteelSteel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, glass and titaniumTitaniumTitanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
sculptureSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
of a cattail (abundant in the surrounding New Jersey MeadowlandsNew Jersey MeadowlandsNew Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeast New Jersey in the United States. The Meadowlands are known for being the site of large landfills and decades of...
) by San Francisco artist Louis "Cork" Marcheschi. The tops of the cattails are lit from within in the purple, blue and orange colors of NJ Transit. There is a newsstand, a Dunkin' DonutsDunkin' DonutsDunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
, a small pub and waiting area around the concourse, and a SbarroSbarroSbarro is a bankrupt chain of pizza restaurants that specializes in traditional Italian cuisine, including its most popular menu item "pizza by the slice." Its headquarters is located in Melville, Huntington, New York.- History :...
's.
Controversy and criticism
One of the most prominent criticisms of Secaucus Junction at its opening was its low usage in comparison to the amount of money spent to build it. The station cost $609 million by the time it opened, yet drew only 5,600 riders in an average day in 2004, far lower than expected. Secaucus Junction initially had no on-site parking, despite being right next to Exit 15X of the New Jersey Turnpike. In June 2009, a parking facility was opened, and the opening of the Meadowlands Rail Line has attracted more riders. Since 2004, average weekday ridership at Secaucus Junction has increased to 17,000 passengers, making it New Jersey Transit's fourth-busiest station.Proposed New York City Subway extension
On November 16, 2010, The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
's administration was working on a plan to bring the 7 train service of the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
to Secaucus Junction. An extension of that service
7 Subway Extension
The 7 Subway Extension — Hudson Yards Rezoning and Development Program is the plan to extend the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway, which carries the 7 train service, westward from its current terminus at Times Square, adding one new station at 34th Street – Eleventh Avenue...
, from its current terminus at Times Square – 42nd Street, to a new station at Eleventh Avenue and 34th Street, is already under construction.
If built, the extension would take the New York City Subway outside the city's borders for the first time. The plan would replace the Access to the Region's Core tunnel, which was canceled by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in October 2010. It would offer a direct route to Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
on the east side of Manhattan, while connecting with most other subway routes. New York City spent $250,000 for a consultant to conduct feasibility studies for the project, however no design work has commenced, nor have financing arrangements have been made. On October 26, 2011, New York City Mayor Bloomberg reiterated his support for the project, while New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also expressed general concurrence.