NJ Transit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids NJ Transit |
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| Locale | New Jersey (statewide), New York, Rockland and Orange counties in New York State, and Philadelphia and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania |
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| Chief executive | Kevin Corbett |
| Headquarters | 1 Penn Plaza East, Newark, New Jersey |
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| Began operation | July 17, 1979 |
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NJ Transit (short for New Jersey Transit Corporation) is a public transportation system owned by the state of New Jersey. It helps people travel all over New Jersey and also connects to parts of New York and Pennsylvania. NJ Transit runs buses, light rail trains, and commuter trains. These services link people to important business and job centers in New Jersey, as well as to big cities like New York City and Philadelphia.
NJ Transit is the largest public transit system in New Jersey. It is also the third-largest provider of bus, rail, and light rail services by the number of people who ride it in the United States. In 2022, 175,960,600 trips were made on NJ Transit. The system covers a large area of 5,325 square miles (13,790 km2). NJ Transit also helps buy buses for many private companies that operate routes not covered by the agency.
Contents
How NJ Transit Started
NJ Transit began on July 17, 1979. It was created by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to solve many transportation problems in the state. The goal was to "acquire, operate, and contract for transportation service in the public interest."
At first, NJ Transit took over many private bus services. One of the biggest was run by the state's largest electric company. Over time, NJ Transit took control of most bus services in New Jersey. In northern New Jersey, bus routes are like a big web. In southern New Jersey, most routes spread out from central cities like Trenton, Camden, and Atlantic City.
In 1983, NJ Transit started running all commuter train services in New Jersey. Before this, another company called Conrail had operated these services. Since NJ Transit took over, the number of people riding the trains has grown four times larger!
In the 1990s, the train system grew even more. New services like "Midtown Direct" made it easier to get to New York City. On October 21, 2001, a new train station opened at Newark Liberty International Airport. On December 15, 2003, the Secaucus Junction transfer station opened. This station connected NJ Transit's two main train networks in northern New Jersey for the first time. It allowed passengers to switch trains and get to New York Penn Station faster.
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused a lot of damage. The main control center for trains was flooded with 8 feet (2.4 m) of water. Many train engines and cars were also damaged by the floodwaters.
How NJ Transit is Run
The Governor of New Jersey chooses a group of thirteen people to be on the Board of Directors for NJ Transit. These people help make important decisions about how NJ Transit operates. Most of them are from the public, and some are state officials. There are also two members who represent the employees. The Governor has the power to say no to decisions made by the board.
Daily Operations
NJ Transit divides its work into three main types of service: bus, light rail, and commuter rail. These services are run by different parts of the company.
Bus Services
NJ Transit Bus Operations runs 253 bus routes using 2,221 buses. Some of these routes are run by smaller NJ Transit companies in areas like Trenton, Monmouth, and Morris counties. NJ Transit also lends buses to other private bus companies in New Jersey.
Light Rail Services
NJ Transit operates three different light rail systems:
- Hudson–Bergen Light Rail: This system has three lines with 24 stations. It runs for 20.6 miles (33.2 km) along the Hudson Waterfront in Hudson County.
- Newark Light Rail: This system has two lines with 12 stations. It runs for 5.3 miles (8.5 km) to and from major transportation spots in Newark and nearby areas.
- River Line: This is a single line with 21 stations. It runs for 34 miles (55 km) from Trenton to Camden, mostly along the Delaware River.
Commuter Train Services
NJ Transit operates twelve commuter train lines that help people travel longer distances for work or other reasons. Some of these lines include:
- Atlantic City Line
- Bergen County Line
- Main Line
- Meadowlands Rail Line (only for special events at the Meadowlands Sports Complex)
- Montclair-Boonton Line
- Morris & Essex Lines (including the Morristown Line and Gladstone Branch)
- North Jersey Coast Line
- Northeast Corridor Line (including the Princeton Branch)
- Pascack Valley Line
- Raritan Valley Line
NJ Transit Police
The New Jersey Transit Police Department (NJTPD) is the police force for NJ Transit. Their main job is to keep people safe and secure at bus terminals, train stations, light-rail stations, and all other property owned by NJ Transit throughout the state. The department has about 250 police officers. They have the same powers as other police officers in New Jersey.
Exciting Projects for the Future
NJ Transit is always working on new projects to improve travel for everyone.
Current Projects
Gateway Program
This big project aims to make the Northeast Corridor train line much better. It will allow twice as many passenger trains to run under the Hudson River. The project will add more tracks, tunnels, bridges, and stations. Eventually, there will be four main tracks between Newark, NJ, and Penn Station in New York, including a brand new two-track tunnel under the Hudson River. NJ Transit is working with other groups like Amtrak and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on this.
Replacing the Portal Bridge
This project will replace a very old bridge over the Hackensack River. The current bridge is over 100 years old and swings open for boats, which often causes train delays. The new bridge will be fixed in place, meaning it won't need to open for boats. This will make train travel more reliable and faster.
Hudson Tunnel Project
This project involves building a new train tunnel under the Hudson River for Penn Station, New York. It will also fix and update the two existing tunnels, which were badly damaged by saltwater during Hurricane Sandy. Building a new tunnel means they won't have to close the old ones for repairs, which would cause huge train delays.
Hudson–Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) Extensions
- Northern Branch Extension: This project will extend the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail service from North Bergen to Englewood. The goal is to help more people travel, reduce traffic, and encourage growth in these areas.
- Route 440 Extension: This project will extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail in Jersey City by about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) to a new station. This new station will help with a large urban renewal project in the area.
Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project
This project is about bringing an old train route, called the Lackawanna Cut-Off, back to life. This route was built over 100 years ago and provided a direct path for trains. Many of its original concrete structures are still in good shape! Bringing this line back will offer more train service to communities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The goal is to have service to Andover, New Jersey, by 2027. There's also a chance Amtrak might extend service to Scranton, Pennsylvania, using this route.
Glassboro–Camden Line
This is a planned 18-mile (28.97 km) light rail system for southwestern New Jersey. It will connect with the River Line in Camden and help people travel between towns in Gloucester and Camden counties. This project is expected to be ready by 2028.
Bus Rapid Transit
NJ Transit is working on "Next Generation Bus" systems. This means they are looking into ways to make bus travel faster and more efficient. This could include special bus lanes or limited-stop routes. NJ Transit is also adding technology to its buses so you can know exactly when your bus will arrive!
Recovery and Resilience Projects
After Hurricane Sandy, NJ Transit has been working on many projects to repair damage and make the system stronger against future storms. This includes replacing damaged cables, fixing power systems, and adding flood protection at stations and terminals. The 110-year-old Raritan River Bridge is also being replaced with a new, higher bridge.
Ideas for Future Projects
West Trenton Line
This is a proposed train service that would connect West Trenton Station to Newark Penn Station. This line used to run before 1983.
West Shore Commuter Rail Line
This idea is to bring back passenger train service on the West Shore Railroad from Hoboken, NJ, to West Nyack, NY. This route could help many commuters who currently rely on crowded buses. However, there are challenges, like sharing tracks with freight trains and connecting to New York City stations.
Passaic–Bergen–Hudson Transit Project
This project would bring back passenger service on an old railway line in Passaic, Bergen, and Hudson counties. It would also extend service to connect with the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail.
Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) Line
The MOM line is a proposed commuter train route for central and southern New Jersey. It would connect places like Lakehurst to New Brunswick, Newark, and New York's Penn Station. This would bring back a service that existed many years ago. Different routes for this line are still being studied.
Lehigh Valley Service
There's a study looking into extending the Raritan Valley Line train service to the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania. This would include stops in cities like Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. Passenger service to these cities ended in 1967.
Past Projects That Were Canceled
Access to the Region's Core (ARC)
NJ Transit had planned to build a new two-track tunnel under the Hudson River. This project would have allowed for direct train rides from many NJ Transit lines to New York Penn Station. The project started in 2009, but it was stopped in 2010 due to concerns about high costs. Amtrak later proposed the Gateway Project, which aims to solve some of the same problems.
Newark–Elizabeth Rail Link
This project was planned to connect Downtown Newark and Elizabeth through Newark Liberty International Airport. However, NJ Transit is no longer pursuing this project because the airport already has a monorail that connects to existing train lines going to Newark and Elizabeth.
Notable Events
- On February 9, 1996, two trains crashed near Secaucus. Sadly, both train engineers and one passenger died.
- On September 29, 2016, a train crashed into the passenger area of Hoboken Terminal. One person died, and about 100 people were hurt.
- On August 19, 2016, two NJ Transit buses crashed in Newark. Two people died, and 18 were injured.
- On December 14, 2023, a Texas Longhorn bull wandered onto the train tracks at Newark Penn Station. This caused train delays. Police officers safely caught the bull, who was later named Ricardo. NJ Transit even made a plush toy of Ricardo, and some of the money from sales goes to an animal sanctuary where Ricardo now lives!
See also
- George Warrington
- James Weinstein
- AirTrain Newark
- List of New Jersey railroads
- List of United States railroads
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority
- Sunnyside Yard
