Edgewater Branch facts for kids
The Edgewater Branch was a short train line in New Jersey. It was part of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W). The line was about 3 miles long. It started in Ridgefield, went through the Edgewater Tunnel, and ended in Edgewater, near the Hudson River.
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Why Was the Edgewater Branch Built?
The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W) used to carry coal and other goods from Scranton, Pennsylvania. This coal went through northern New Jersey. The NYS&W wanted a direct way to reach the Hudson River waterfront. This would make it easier to load goods onto ships.
Before the Edgewater Branch, the NYS&W had to pay other train companies to use their tracks. This was expensive. So, in 1892, a company called the Hudson River Railroad and Terminal Company was started. It was a part of the NYS&W. This new company helped build a special terminal right on the Hudson River shore. This terminal was used to load goods onto large ships.
How Did the Edgewater Branch Help Businesses?
The Edgewater Branch helped many factories and businesses grow along the shoreline. These businesses used the train line to get their materials and send out their products. There were large train yards and special boat services called "car floats." These floats carried train cars across the water.
Some of the big companies that used the line were:
- Alcoa Aluminum
- Ford Motor Company
- Lever Brothers
- Valvoline Oil Company
Over time, many of these factories closed down. This happened because industries changed. Shipping also changed, with more goods moving by trucks and large containers. For example, the Ford factory in Edgewater closed in 1955. This meant the train line lost one of its biggest customers.
What Is the Edgewater Tunnel?
The Edgewater Tunnel is a former train tunnel. It goes through a big hill called Bergen Hill. The tunnel opened in 1894. It was built so trains could reach the Hudson River waterfront.
The tunnel is about 1 mile long. It is about 200 feet underground. The western entrance is in Fairview, near the Fairview Cemetery. The eastern entrance is in Edgewater. The train tracks were removed from the tunnel around 1992.
Today, a pipeline runs through the tunnel. It carries oil between facilities in Bogota and Edgewater. Also, a power cable goes through the tunnel. This cable helps bring electricity from a power station in Bergen to Midtown Manhattan in New York City. This power cable was finished in 2013.
What Is the Status of the Line Today?
Parts of the Edgewater Branch are still used today. The section between Ridgefield and a bridge near US Route 1/9 in Fairview is still active. However, the tracks through the cut and the tunnel were removed in 1992. Even though the tracks are gone, the land where the tracks used to be is still owned by the railway.
In the 1980s and 1990s, people realized that the roads along the Hudson River were getting very crowded. They thought about building a new train system called a "light rail." This system would help people travel more easily. One idea was to use the Edgewater Tunnel for this new light rail. But this idea was not chosen. Instead, another tunnel, the Weehawken Tunnel, was used for the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.
Since then, many new homes and businesses have been built along the Hudson River. This has made traffic even worse. So, people are still looking for ways to improve transportation in the area. There is a plan for a new train station at the Vince Lombardi Park & Ride. This station would be part of a future train project called the Passaic–Bergen–Hudson Transit Project.
