Union station (NJT)

Union
Union Station sign, hanging from entryway
Location	Union Township, Union County, New Jersey
Coordinates	40°41′0″N 74°14′19″W / 40.68333°N 74.23861°W / 40.68333; -74.23861Coordinates: 40°41′0″N 74°14′19″W / 40.68333°N 74.23861°W / 40.68333; -74.23861
Owned by	New Jersey Transit (Structure) / Norfolk Southern Railway (Land)
Line(s)	Raritan Valley Line
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	NJT Bus: 26 and 52
Construction
Platform levels	1
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	5[1]
History
Opened	2003
Traffic
Passengers (2012)	1,355 (average weekday)[2]
Services
Preceding station   NJ Transit Rail   Following station Roselle Park toward High Bridge Raritan Valley Line Newark Penn Station toward Hoboken or New York Penn Station

Union is a New Jersey Transit railroad station in Union County, New Jersey. Located on the Conrail Lehigh Line, Union is served by Raritan Valley Line trains direct to New York Penn Station, Newark Penn Station, Raritan, and High Bridge. The physical structures of the station are owned by New Jersey Transit, however the land remains property of Norfolk Southern Railway, in accordance with the 1999 buyout of Consolidated Rail Corporation by Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Corporation.

History

The station is located at milepost 14.6 on the Conrail Lehigh Line. This is the former Lehigh Valley Railroad mainline, built in 1832 by LV subsidiary Newark & Roselle Railway. The Township of Union had been served until the 1940s by Townley station, 0.5 miles to the east at milepost 14.1. With the station demolished by the Lehigh Valley Railroad in the 1940s, officials decided not to add a stop in 1967 during the Aldene Project. The project was a joint program between the railroads, NJDOT, and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey which elevated trackage above ground level to eliminate grade crossings and rerouted which elevated the railroad above ground level and rerouted Central Railroad of New Jersey trains (one of NJ Transit's predecessor railroads) to Pennsylvania Station in Newark, New Jersey.[2]

When bankruptcy struck the Central Railroad of New Jersey, the CNJ was forced to fold into the Consolidated Rail Corporation on April 1, 1976. On that date, the New Jersey Department of Transportation took over commuter rail operations. In 1981 the State of New Jersey created New Jersey Transit to oversee all commuter operations, rail and bus, in the state. Since then, NJTransit has continued to operate and improve services on the Raritan Valley Line service.

Completed in 2003 at a cost of $24.8 million, the station filled the eight mile stretch between Newark Penn Station and Roselle Park. It is adjoined to Kean University. Station amenities include a waiting room, rest rooms, vendors, and a 464-space parking lot. The station features artwork reproducing the 40th parallel of the Earth's northern hemisphere, and shows cities through which the 40th parallel runs including Lisbon, Rome, and Beijing.

In May 2004, the station served as the scene of a major drill for local first responders. The State of New Jersey managed the drill, which centered around the simulation of a mass casualty railroad incident. Fire departments, EMS agencies, and police departments from all around the state participated. Governor Jim McGreevy heralded the drill as an impressive display of commitment by local authorities and New Jersey Transit toward the safety of the community and rail passengers.

Dedication

On September 24, 2013, Union Station was dedicated to Congressman Bob Franks.^[3] Franks was a long time supporter of rail transportation, as well as a tireless advocate for public works projects in his district, which included the Township of Union.

Station layout

The station is a center island platform, with eastbound and westbound trains operating on any track the Conrail North Jersey Train Dispatcher chooses. Under no circumstances does a specific track serve a specific direction.

Direct Service To New York City

In March 2014, New Jersey Transit began providing direct service, known as a "one seat ride" to Pennsylvania Station New York on a limited off-peak basis using their new ALP-45DP dual diesel/electric locomotives. Currently, four rounds trips are available mid-day. New Jersey Transit states they have plans to expand the service in 2015 into the peak periods during the commute.

Freight operations

The station has a gauntlet track (a slightly shifted-over track) on both the track 1 and track 2 sides that allows freight trains to pass the high level platform safely. Currently, freight operations past the station are operated by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern. The route has become a critical artery in transcontinental transportation, particularly for retail and petrochemical traffic.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Union (NJT station).