Morristown Line

The Morristown Line is one of NJ Transit's commuter rail lines and is one of two branches that run along the Morris & Essex Lines; the other is the Gladstone Branch. Out of 60 inbound and 58 outbound daily weekday trains, 28 inbound and 26 outbound Midtown Direct trains (about 45%) use the Kearny Connection (opened June 10, 1996) to Secaucus Junction and New York Penn Station; the rest go to Hoboken Terminal. Passengers can transfer at Newark Broad Street or Summit to reach the other destination. On rail system maps the line is colored dark green, and its symbol is a drum, a reference to Morristown's history during the American Revolution.

Morristown Line
A Morristown Line train at Summit station.
Overview
Owner	Amtrak (New York Penn Station to Kearny Connection) New Jersey Transit (all other trackage)
Locale	Northern New Jersey
Termini	Hoboken or NY Penn Station Dover Hackettstown (limited service)
Stations	26
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	New Jersey Transit Rail Operations
Operator(s)	New Jersey Transit
Rolling stock	ALP-46 and ALP-45DP locomotives, MultiLevel coaches, Comet coaches, Arrow III multiple units
Daily ridership	50,000[1] (13.5 million annually)[1]
History
Opened	November 19, 1836 (Newark–Orange) January 1, 1838 (Orange–Morristown) July 4, 1848 (Morristown–Rockaway) July 31, 1848 (Rockaway–Dover) January 16, 1854 (Dover–Hackettstown) June 10, 1996 (New York–Newark via Kearny Connection/Midtown Direct)
Technical
Track length	92.3 kilometres (57.4 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV 60 Hz AC
Route map Washington Secondary to Phillipsburg Hackettstown US 46 Musconetcong River Mount Olive I-80 Netcong Port Morris Yard Lackawanna Cut-Off to Andover Landing Masonry Bridge Lake Hopatcong I-80 Mount Arlington Chester & High Bridge Branches Wharton Dover & Rockaway Branches US 46 Dover Dover Yard original alignment Rockaway Denville MOBO via Montclair Mount Tabor Route 10 US 202 Morris Plains M&E Main Line to Roseland Morristown I-287 Convent Station Madison Chatham Passaic River GLAD to Gladstone Summit Rahway Valley Railroad to Roselle Park Route 24 Short Hills Rahway River Millburn Maplewood South Orange Mountain Station Highland Avenue I-280 Orange Brick Church East Orange G.S. Parkway Grove Street MOBO to Hackettstown via Montclair Roseville Avenue I-280 Newark Light Rail Newark Broad Street Newark Drawbridge (Passaic River) Harrison closed Kearny Connection Northeast Corridor to Washington Hackensack River Meadows Maintenance Complex MAIN & BCL to Suffern Secaucus Junction Bergen Tunnels Hoboken Yard Hoboken Terminal North River Tunnels (Hudson River) NJ NY New York Penn Station East River Tunnels (East River) Sunnyside Yard Northeast Corridor & LIRR Main Line to Boston & Greenport

There is frequent service weekdays, with hourly service to/from New York (none going beyond Dover) on weekends. Until August 13, 2006, there was also hourly service to Hoboken. On that date, service between Hoboken and Summit was cut back to once every two hours on weekends. On May 11, 2008, off-peak weekday Hoboken-Dover trains (600 Series) were cut. In addition, weekend Gladstone trains were cut back to Summit, and a shuttle train is operated every two hours between Newark Broad Street and Hoboken Terminal.

Recently the line between Millburn and Summit underwent extensive rehabilitation. This included the replacement of the creosote crossties on both tracks with concrete crossties, the replacement of all crossties on the double trestle over Short Hills Avenue, and the replacement of several sections of rail. More recently work has been progressing briskly on rehabilitating both tracks between Summit and Dover with concrete crossties and new welded rail, and rehabilitation of select road overpasses.

Hurricane Sandy inflicted severe damage on the Morristown Line on October 29–30, 2012, as fallen trees brought down catenary and signal wires and washed out sections of track, most notably through the New Jersey Meadowlands on both the main line and the Kearny Connection. Midtown Direct service was restored from Dover to New York on November 12, 2012;[2][3] service to Hoboken and west of Dover resumed on November 19.[4]

Description

The Morristown Line begins at Hoboken Terminal or at New York Penn Station. Trains departing for points west of Dover require diesel locomotives. Immediately after leaving Hoboken, the route passes the coach and diesel yards before entering the 1908 Bergen Tunnel under the New Jersey Palisades just past the East End interlocking. At the west portal of the Bergen Tunnel is West End interlocking, where the Main Line, Bergen County Line and Pascack Valley Line branch off to the north. The Morristown Line then crosses over Lower Hack Lift, a vertical lift bridge built in 1927 over the Hackensack River. The line crosses under Route 7 and then passes NJ Transit's Meadowlands Maintenance Complex (MMC).

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and the New Jersey Turnpike cross overhead. The Midtown Direct trains join the Morristown line from New York at Kearny Jct. just past this overpass. The Morristown Line parallels the Amtrak Northeast Corridor and PATH lines and Interstate 280 for a short distance here. The Waterfront Connection is just prior to the overpass at Meadows interlocking. It allows selected North Jersey Coast Line and Raritan Valley Line trains to reach Hoboken from the Northeast Corridor Line.

Newark Drawbridge over the Passaic River bridge. The swing bridge is to the right of the vehicular William A. Stickel Memorial Bridge (I-280) lift bridge in background.

After following Interstate 280, the line crosses a 2-track swing bridge, the Morristown Line Bridge (Newark Drawbridge) over the Passaic River into the renovated Newark Broad Street station with two high platforms serving all three tracks. After Newark Broad Street Station, within the city limits the line runs in a cut and crosses under many streets, Interstate 280 and the Newark City Subway, and at the abandoned Roseville Avenue station, now the location of Roseville interlocking, the Montclair-Boonton Line splits off to the right. The route west from Passaic River to a short distance to the east of Millburn station is triple tracked. The remainder of the route to Lake Hopatcong station is double tracked.

After passing an abandoned station at Grove Street (now the location of Green interlocking) and over the Garden State Parkway, East Orange is the next stop, on a viaduct. Brick Church and Orange follow, also elevated stations. The line curves south over Interstate 280 past Highland Avenue and Mountain Station. South Orange is next, an elevated station with two platforms and three tracks. Seton Hall University is located here. Maplewood follows, with a side platform and a center platform serving all westbound and some eastbound trains. After Maplewood the line narrows to two tracks at Millburn interlocking. Millburn and Short Hills have two side platforms, with two tracks.

Summit, a major station is next with two high platforms and the station building above the tracks. A glass crossover passes above the platforms. Some weekday locals terminate and originate here. Many of the area's private schools are located in Summit and commuting high school students are a major source of traffic for this station. Schedules are timed for most Morristown trains to have a convenient transfer to a Gladstone branch train across the platform.

Just west of Summit the Gladstone Branch separates and the line crosses over the Passaic River (the second time) into Chatham. Chatham station is on an embankment with two side platforms. Madison on a viaduct is similar, with a recently refurbished 1916 station house on the eastbound side.

The line passes its first grade crossing at Convent Station at the College of Saint Elizabeth. This station has two side platforms with the station building on the eastbound side and a brick waiting house on the westbound track. An old freight station is on the eastbound side. After this station there are two more grade crossings.

Crossing Interstate 287 the line enters Morristown. The Morristown station has two low side platforms and a large station building open 7 days, and is the focal point of a new transit village development. Mini-high level platform ramps for ADA access at both ends. An abandoned freight station is at the west end. West of the station, the Morristown & Erie Railway's main office are located. The Morristown & Erie's main line diverges at this point.

The next station on the line is Morris Plains, with a 1915 brick station. A local model railroad club is located in the freight house just north of the station. After Morris Plains the line curves through wooded areas, under Route 10, and past several crossings before stopping at Mount Tabor, a small stop in Denville near the community of the same name in Parsippany located at a grade crossing. This stop is served by selected weekday and limited weekend trains and lacks an eastbound platform.

Denville station is a short distance from Mount Tabor. The Morristown Line rejoins the Montclair-Boonton Line just past this station.

The line passes over Estling Lake and alongside the Rockaway River into Dover. Dover, the final stop in electric territory, is next. The 1905 station was recently renovated in the mid-1990s and has a single high platform. No electric Midtown Direct trains and most Hoboken service continues on past here towards Hackettstown. The Morristown Line catenary wires ends about a half-mile west of the station near the US Route 46 overpass. However, there are plans (currently unfunded) to extend the electric service to Lake Hopatcong as the Dover Yard is at capacity, and the substation at Wharton to supply this extension has been in service since 1984.

Two tracks continue west over the Rockaway River and past D&R Junction in Wharton where Morris County's Dover-Rockaway Branch splits off. Chester (Lake) Junction is on the left and provides the connection to Morris County's Chester and High Bridge Branch. Mount Arlington park/ride station is next, with two high platforms and 285 parking spaces near Exit 30 on Interstate 80.

Hackettstown station

After passing under Interstate 80, Lake Hopatcong station is next. The connection to the Lackawanna Cutoff is on the right as the train approaches Port Morris Yard, where the Montclair-Boonton and Morristown line's diesel fleet is based. Netcong station has a brick house on the low platform. Until late 1994, this was the endpoint of the line. Crossing under Interstate 80, the line enters the Mount Olive International Trade Center, where a station is located at Waterloo Valley Road.

The route passes through Allamuchy Mountain State Park and along the Musconetcong River to Hackettstown. A freight spur to the M&M/Mars plant is on the right, before the line crosses US Route 46 in downtown. The Hackettstown station is shortly ahead, with one low platform and a mini-high ADA ramp. Trackage south of Hackettstown is owned by Norfolk Southern and operated by the Dover and Delaware River Railroad as part of the Lackawanna Washington Secondary to Phillipsburg.

The Morristown line is the main line of the historic Lackawanna Railroad. Until 1970, passenger service continued beyond Dover, to the Poconos, Scranton, Binghamton and Buffalo via the Lackawanna Cut-Off. Service on the Cut-Off as far as Andover is slated to begin again in 2020, with future plans to possibly extend rail service into northeastern Pennsylvania, perhaps as far as Scranton.

Electrification

The Morristown Line east of Dover station is electrified, using 25 kV, 60 Hz AC overhead catenary wire. The line was electrified in 1930 at 3 kV DC, but was re-electrified in 1984 at the contemporary standard of 25 kV, 60 Hz. The connecting Gladstone Branch and Montclair Branch were also re-electrified at this time.

Rolling stock

Weekday local service between Hoboken and Dover now is mainly diesel (electric if the locomotive is an ALP-45DP or ALP-46), with occasional Arrow III electric MU cars. All Midtown Direct service is push-pull, utilizing electric ALP-46 locomotives or dual-mode ALP-45DP locomotives and Comet or Multilevel coaches. Through service west of Dover from Hoboken uses GP40PH-2 or PL42AC diesels or the ALP-45DP dual-power locomotive (runs electric east of Dover, diesel west of Dover) with Comet cars.

Stations

State	Zone [5]	Location	Station[5]	Miles (km)	Date opened	Date closed	Connections / notes[5]
NY	1	Manhattan	Pennsylvania Station	0.0 (0.0)	1910		Amtrak (long distance): Cardinal, Crescent, Lake Shore Limited, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Silver Star Amtrak (intercity): Acela Express, Adirondack, Carolinian, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, Northeast Regional, Pennsylvanian, Vermonter Long Island Rail Road: Babylon, Belmont Park, City Terminal Zone, Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Long Beach, Montauk, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson, Port Washington, Ronkonkoma, West Hempstead branches NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone, Montclair-Boonton, Northeast Corridor, Raritan Valley, North Jersey Coast lines New York City Subway: 1, ​2, and ​3 (at 34th Street – Penn Station (Seventh Avenue)), A, ​C, and ​E (at 34th Street – Penn Station (Eighth Avenue)) New York City Bus: M7, M20, M34 SBS, M34A, Q32 Academy Bus: SIM23, SIM24 Flixbus: Eastern Shuttle Vamoose Bus
NJ		Secaucus	Secaucus Junction	3.5 (5.6)	2003		NJ Transit Rail: Bergen County, Gladstone, Main, Meadowlands, Montclair-Boonton, Northeast Corridor, Pascack Valley, Raritan Valley, and North Jersey Coast lines Metro-North Railroad: Port Jervis Line NJ Transit Bus: 2, 78, 129, 329, 353
		Hoboken	Hoboken Terminal	–	1903		NJ Transit Rail: Bergen County, Gladstone, Main, Meadowlands, Montclair-Boonton, Pascack Valley, Raritan Valley, and North Jersey Coast lines Metro-North Railroad: Port Jervis Line Hudson-Bergen Light Rail: 8th Street-Hoboken, Hoboken-Tonnelle PATH: HOB-WTC, HOB-33, JSQ-33 (via HOB) NJ Transit Bus: 22, 22X, 23, 68, 85, 87, 89, 126 New York Waterway
	2
		Harrison	Harrison	7.13 (11.5)		September 16, 1984[6]
		Newark	Newark Broad Street	10.4 (16.7)	November 19, 1836[7]		NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line and Gladstone Branch Newark Light Rail: Broad Street – Newark Penn NJ Transit Bus: 11, 13, 27, 28, go28, 29, 30, 41, 72, 76, 78, 108
	4
			Roseville Avenue	11.6 (18.7)		September 16, 1984[6]
		East Orange
			Grove Street	12.2 (19.6)		April 7, 1991[8]
			East Orange	12.6 (20.3)	November 19, 1836[7]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 21, 71, 73, 79, 94 Community Coach: 77
			Brick Church	13.2 (21.2)	November 19, 1836[7]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 21, 71, 73, 79, 94, 97 Community Coach: 77 ONE Bus: 24
		Orange	Orange	14.1 (22.7)	November 19, 1836[7]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 21, 41, 71, 73, 92 Community Coach: 77 ONE Bus: 24, 44 West Orange Community Shuttle
	5		Highland Avenue	14.8 (23.8)			NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 92 ONE Bus: 44
		South Orange	Mountain Station	15.7 (25.3)			NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 92
			South Orange	16.5 (26.6)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 92, 107 ONE Bus: 31 South Orange Community Shuttle West Orange Community Shuttle
	6	Maplewood	Maplewood	17.8 (28.6)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch Maplewood Community Shuttle
			Wyoming
	7	Millburn	Millburn	19.4 (32.2)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 70
		Short Hills	Short Hills	20.4 (32.8)	July 1879[10]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch Springfield Community Shuttle
	9	Summit	Summit	22.7 (36.5)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 70, 986 Lakeland Bus: 78
	10	Chatham	Chatham	26.1 (42.0)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Bus: 873
	11	Madison	Madison	28.1 (45.2)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Bus: 873
	12	Convent Station	Convent Station	30.3 (48.8)	1867[11]		NJ Transit Bus: 873, 878, 879
	14	Morristown	Morristown	32.5 (52.0)	January 1, 1838[12]		NJ Transit Bus: 871, 872, 873, 874, 880 Community Coach: 77
	16	Morris Plains	Morris Plains	34.6 (55.7)	July 4, 1848[13]		NJ Transit Bus: 872, 880
		Mount Tabor	Mount Tabor	38.3 (61.6)			NJ Transit Bus: 880
		Denville	Denville	39.3 (63.2)	July 4, 1848[13]		NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line NJ Transit Bus: 880
	17	Dover	Dover	43.1 (69.4)	July 31, 1848[14]		NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line NJ Transit Bus: 872, 875, 880 Terminus of electrification, transfer point between trains to New York/Hoboken and Dover
	19
		Wharton	Wharton			January 6, 1958[15][16]
		Mount Arlington	Mount Arlington (limited service)		January 16, 1854[17][18] January 21, 2008[19]	November 8, 1942[20][21]	NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line Lakeland Bus: 80 Also known as Howard Boulevard Park and Ride
		Roxbury	Lake Hopatcong (limited service)	48.5 (78.1)	1882[22]		NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line Lakeland Bus: 80
			Port Morris			April 24, 1949[23][24]	Passenger service ended on April 24, 1949, but the site continued to serve as split of the Lackawanna Cut-Off.
		Netcong	Netcong (limited service)	51.0 (82.1)	January 16, 1854[17][18]		NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line Former western terminus, originally Netcong-Stanhope
		Mount Olive	Mount Olive (limited service)	52.7 (84.8)	January 16, 1854[17][18] October 31, 1994[25]	April 24, 1960[26][27]	NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line Originally Waterloo
		Hackettstown	Hackettstown (limited service)	60.0 (96.6)	January 16, 1854[17] October 31, 1994[25]	September 30, 1966[28]	NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line

References

1. NJ Transit celebrates 10-year anniversary of MidTOWN Direct service New Jersey Transit Retrieved 2007-09-08
2. "NEW FERRY OPTION TO MIDTOWN MANHATTAN FROM HOBOKEN: EFFECTIVE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12". NJ Transit Customer Notices: Post-Hurricane Service Updates and Travel Options. NJTransit.com. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
3. "Midtown Direct Will Resume Limited Service Monday". Millburn-Short Hills Patch. Archived from the original on 18 November 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
4. "All But One NJ TRANSIT Rail Lines Fully or Partially Restored Starting Monday, November 19". njtransit.com. New Jersey Transit. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
5. "Morris & Essex Line Timetable" (PDF). New York, New York: New Jersey Transit. November 19, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
6. Morris & Essex Lines Timetable (September 16, 1984 ed.). Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. 1984.
7. Douglass 1912, p. 339.
8. Morris & Essex Lines Timetable (April 7, 1991 ed.). Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. 1991.
9. "Morris and Essex is Seventy-Nine Years Old". The Madison Eagle. June 16, 1916. p. 10. Retrieved February 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Stern, Fishman & Tilove 2013, p. 131.
11. Housing Legislation of 1966: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Banking and Currency - United States Senate Eighty-Ninth Congress Second Session on Proposed Housing Legislation for 1966 (Report). 89th United States Congress. 1967. p. 1198. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
12. Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen 1913, p. 533.
13. Arch, Brad (January 1982). "The Morris and Essex Railroad" (PDF). Journal of New Jersey Postal History Society. X (1): 4–8. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
14. Platt 1922, p. 36.
15. "Lackawanna Railroad Timetables" (PDF). New York, New York: Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. October 27, 1957. p. 14. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
16. "Lackawanna Railroad Timetables" (PDF). New York, New York: Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. January 6, 1958. p. 14. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
17. Davis, J.M. "Letter to the New York Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society" (PDF). The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company. p. 8. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
18. New Jersey Comptroller of the Treasury 1856, p. 31.
19. Saha, Paula (January 21, 2008). "NJ Transit Station in Mount Arlington Offers Choice to Commuters". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
20. "Lackawanna Railroad Timetables" (PDF). New York, New York: Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. August 1, 1942. p. 14. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
21. "Lackawanna Railroad Timetables" (PDF). New York, New York: Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. November 8, 1942. p. 14. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
22. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form - Ledgewood Historic District" (PDF). nps.gov. National Park Service. p. 38. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
23. "Lackawanna Railroad Timetables" (PDF). New York, New York: Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. February 14, 1949. p. 14. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
24. "Lackawanna Railroad Timetables" (PDF). New York, New York: Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. April 24, 1949. p. 14. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
25. Ciliberti, Dino F. (October 30, 1994). "Train Service Starts Tomorrow to Mount Olive, Hackettstown". The Daily Record. Morristown, New Jersey. p. E7. Retrieved April 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
26. "Lackawanna Railroad Timetables" (PDF). New York, New York: Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. April 24, 1960. p. 14. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
27. "Lackawanna Railroad Timetables" (PDF). New York, New York: Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. January 1, 1960. p. 14. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
28. "Erie Curtailment Approved by Judiciary". The Morning Call. Paterson, New Jersey. October 1, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved April 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

Bibliography

• Douglass, A.M. (1912). The Railroad Trainman, Volume 29. Cleveland, Ohio: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
• New Jersey Comptroller of the Treasury (1856). Annual Statements of the Railroad and Canal Companies of the State of New Jersey. Trenton, New Jersey: Office of "True American". Retrieved April 7, 2020.
• Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen (1913). The Conductor and Brakeman, Volume 30. Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
• Platt, Charles Davis (1922). Dover Dates, 1722-1922: A Bicentennial History of Dover, New Jersey , Published in Connection with Dover's Two Hundredth Anniversary Celebration Under the Direction of the Dover Fire Department, August 9, 10, 11, 1922. Dover, New Jersey: Charles Davis Platt. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
• Stern, Robert A.M.; Fishman, David; Tilove, Jacob (2013). Paradise Planned: The Garden Suburb and the Modern City. New York, New York: The Monacelli Press. ISBN 9781580933261.

External links

• Morris & Essex Line Timetable