Plainfield station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Plainfield
Location	North Avenue & Gavett Place, Plainfield, New Jersey
Owned by	NJ Transit
Line(s)	Raritan Valley Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	NJ Transit Bus: 59, 65, 66, 113, 114, 819, 822, 986
Construction
Bicycle facilities	Yes; bike racks
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	11
History
Opened	January 1, 1839
Rebuilt	1873 March 1901
Traffic
Passengers (2012)	893 (average weekday)
Services
Preceding station NJ Transit Following station Dunellen toward High Bridge Raritan Valley Line Netherwood toward New York Penn Station or Hoboken Grant Avenue Closed 1986 toward High Bridge
Former services Preceding station Central Railroad of New Jersey Following station Dunellen toward Phillipsburg Main Line Elizabeth toward Jersey City Roselle–Roselle Park toward Jersey City Grant Avenue toward Somerville Somerville – Jersey City Local Netherwood toward Jersey City Preceding station Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Following station Wayne Junction toward Chicago Main Line Elizabeth toward Jersey City Bound Brook toward Philadelphia Philadelphia – Jersey City Local
Plainfield Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Plainfield station in 1907
Location	North Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060
Area	3.5 acres (1.4 ha)
Built	1902 (1902)
Architect	Bradford L. Gilbert; Joseph Osgood
Architectural style	Renaissance
MPS	Operating Passenger Railroad Stations TR
NRHP reference No.	84002837
Added to NRHP	June 22, 1984

Plainfield is a train station in Plainfield, New Jersey. It is part of the NJ Transit system and serves the Raritan Valley Line. This station is one of two in Plainfield and helps people travel to and from the central part of the city.

The station's ticket office and waiting area are in the building on the south side. This is where trains heading east arrive. Plainfield station was the first on its line to be easy for everyone to use. This changed when the Somerville station also became accessible in 2010.

Plainfield Train Station History

The Plainfield station was built in 1902. It was designed by architects Bradford L. Gilbert and Joseph Osgood. They built it for the Central Railroad of New Jersey, which was a big train company at the time.

In 1964, the New Jersey Department of Transportation started helping the station financially. Later, in 1976, the station became part of a larger train company called Conrail.

Plainfield used to have five train stations. Today, only two of them are still standing: Plainfield station and Netherwood station. The other three stations, located at Grant Avenue, Clinton Avenue, and one called Evona, are no longer there.

Since 1984, Plainfield station has been recognized as an important historical place. It is listed on both the state and national registers of historic places. This means it's protected because of its history and architecture. Even after a big renovation project in 2010, the station kept its important historical status.

How the Station is Set Up

Plainfield station, around 1910

The Plainfield station has two special platforms. These are called "high-level side platforms." They are built higher up, making it easier for people to get on and off the trains.

The station has two main tracks:

• Track 1 is for trains heading west. These trains go toward places like Raritan or High Bridge. The next stop after Plainfield on this track is Dunellen.
• Track 2 is for trains heading east. These trains go toward Newark Penn Station. The next stop after Plainfield on this track is Netherwood.

At street level, you'll find the main station building. There is also parking available for cars and stops for local buses.