Elizabeth station (Central Railroad of New Jersey) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids ELIZABETH
The former Central Railroad of New Jersey station, with the current Elizabeth station in the background.
Location	14 Julian Place, Elizabeth, New Jersey 07028
Coordinates	40°40′02″N 74°12′59″W / 40.667149°N 74.216448°W / 40.667149; -74.216448
Platforms	2
Tracks	4
History
Opened	January 1, 1839
Closed	August 6, 1978
Former services
Preceding station Conrail Following station Elmora toward Cranford Bayonne Scoot Elizabethport toward East 33rd Street Preceding station Central Railroad of New Jersey Following station Plainfield toward Phillipsburg Main Line Jersey City Terminus Elmora toward Phillipsburg Elizabethport toward Jersey City Roselle–Roselle Park toward Somerville Somerville – Jersey City Local West 8th Street toward Jersey City Elmora toward Somerville Elizabethport toward Jersey City Preceding station Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Following station Plainfield toward Chicago Main Line Jersey City Terminus Plainfield toward Philadelphia Philadelphia – Jersey City Local
Elizabeth Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Union County, New Jersey Show map of Union County, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Morris Ave., and Broad St., Elizabeth, New Jersey
Area	1.3 acres (0.53 ha)
Built	1893 (1893)
Architect	Bruce Price
Architectural style	Roanesque, Victorian Romanesque
MPS	Operating Passenger Railroad Stations TR
NRHP reference No.	84002825
Added to NRHP	September 29, 1984

The Elizabeth train station is an old, unused station in Elizabeth, New Jersey. It was built by a company called the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) in 1893. It's right next to the current Elizabeth station, used by NJ Transit trains on the Northeast Corridor line.

The current station was built by another company, the Pennsylvania Railroad. Back when different companies ran the trains, people could easily switch from one station to the other. Today, the old CNJ train tracks in Elizabeth are not used. Passenger trains that used to run on the CNJ line (like NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line service) now go around Elizabeth using the Aldene Connection to reach Newark Penn Station. The old station building has been fixed up and is now used for businesses.

Famous Trains That Stopped Here

This station was on the main line of the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ). Trains from other companies, like the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) and Reading Railway, also used this station. These trains ended their journeys at the CNJ's Jersey City terminal. From there, people could take a ferry to New York City.

Some of the well-known trains that stopped at this station included:

• From the Baltimore and Ohio railroad (going west past Washington, D.C.):
  • Capitol Limited
  • Cincinnatian
  • Columbian
  • Metropolitan Special
  • National Limited
• From the Central Railroad of New Jersey and Reading Railway (going to Bethlehem, Allentown, Reading, and Harrisburg):
  • Harrisburg Special
  • Queen of the Valley
• From the Reading Railway (going to West Trenton and Philadelphia):
  • Crusader
  • Wall Street

What Happened to the Station?

The old CNJ station was damaged in a freight train accident on November 4, 1972. A boxcar (a type of train car) went off the tracks and pulled several other cars into the station's roof. Even though the buildings and train cars were damaged, luckily no one was hurt.

Since 1984, the station has been listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical building that should be protected. It's part of a special group called the Operating Passenger Railroad Stations Thematic Resource.

There are plans to make the area around the station better for people. This includes creating a public space between the old CNJ station and the current NJ Transit station. Money for this project was approved in 2018.

Years ago, there was a plan for a Union County Light Rail system. This light rail would have connected downtown Elizabeth with Newark Airport. The Elizabeth station would have been the end point for this line and would have been called Midtown to avoid confusion with other stations. However, this light rail plan was replaced by the Union go bus expressway. This new plan is for a fast bus system that would run between Garwood and the airport.