Morristown Line

Morristown Line
A Dover-bound Morristown Line train made up of MultiLevel coaches getting ready to bypass Mountain Station
Overview
Owner	Amtrak (New York Penn Station to Kearny Connection) New Jersey Transit (all other trackage)
Locale	Northern New Jersey
Termini	Hoboken Terminal or New York Penn Station Dover Hackettstown (limited service) Mount Olive (limited service)
Stations	26
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	New Jersey Transit Rail Operations
Operator(s)	New Jersey Transit
Rolling stock	ALP-46 and ALP-45DP locomotives, MultiLevel coaches, Comet coaches, Arrow III multiple units
Daily ridership	50,000[1] (13.5 million annually)[1]
History
Opened	November 19, 1836 (Newark–Orange) January 1, 1838 (Orange–Morristown) July 4, 1848 (Morristown–Rockaway) July 31, 1848 (Rockaway–Dover) January 16, 1854 (Dover–Hackettstown) June 10, 1996 (New York–Newark via Kearny Connection/Midtown Direct)
Technical
Line length	57.4 mi (92.4 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line, 25 kV 60 Hz AC
Route map Legend mi Washington Secondary to Phillipsburg 56.9 Hackettstown US 46 Musconetcong River 46.9 Mount Olive I-80 48.0 Netcong 45.8 Port Morris Yard Lackawanna Cut-Off to Andover Landing Masonry Bridge 45.4 Lake Hopatcong I-80 43.1 Mount Arlington Chester & High Bridge Branches Wharton Dover & Rockaway Branches US 46 38.1 Dover Dover Yard original alignment Rockaway 36.4 Denville MOBO via Montclair 35.7 Mount Tabor Route 10 US 202 32.0 Morris Plains M&E Main Line to Roseland 29.8 Morristown I-287 27.7 Convent Station 25.5 Madison 23.5 Chatham Passaic River GLAD to Gladstone 20.1 Summit Rahway Valley Railroad to Roselle Park Route 24 17.8 Short Hills Rahway River 16.5 Millburn 15.1 Maplewood 13.8 South Orange 13.1 Mountain Station 12.2 Highland Avenue I-280 11.4 Orange 10.6 Brick Church East Orange G.S. Parkway Grove Street 9.0 MOBO to Hackettstown via Montclair Roseville Avenue I-280 Newark Light Rail 7.8 Newark Broad Street Newark Drawbridge over Passaic River Harrison Harrison Cut-off Northeast Corridor to Washington 5.2 7.8 Kearny Connection │   Sawtooth Kearny Connection │ Bridges Sawtooth │ Waterfront Connection Hackensack River Meadows Maintenance Complex MAIN & BCL to Suffern 5.0 Secaucus Junction Bergen Tunnels Hoboken Yard 0.0 Hoboken Terminal North River Tunnels under Hudson River NJ NY 0.0 New York Penn Station East River Tunnels under East River Sunnyside Yard LIRR Main Line to Long Island & Amtrak NEC to Boston This diagram: view talk edit

The Morristown Line is an NJ Transit commuter rail line connecting Morris and Essex counties to New York City, via either New York Penn Station or Hoboken Terminal. Out of 60 inbound and 58 outbound daily weekday trains, 28 inbound and 26 outbound Midtown Direct trains (about 45%) use the Kearny Connection (opened June 10, 1996) to Penn Station; the rest go to Hoboken. Passengers can transfer at Newark Broad Street or Summit to reach the other destination. On rail system maps the line is colored dark green, and its symbol is a drum, a reference to Morristown's history during the American Revolution.

There is frequent service weekdays, with hourly service to/from New York (none going beyond Dover) on weekends. Until August 13, 2006, there was also hourly service to Hoboken. On that date, service between Hoboken and Summit was cut back to once every two hours on weekends. On May 11, 2008, off-peak weekday Hoboken-Dover trains (600 Series) were cut. In addition, weekend Gladstone trains were cut back to Summit, and a shuttle train is operated every two hours between Newark Broad Street and Hoboken Terminal.

The Millburn-Summit segment underwent extensive rehabilitation in the mid-2010s. This included the replacement of the creosote crossties on both tracks with concrete crossties, the replacement of all crossties on the double trestle over Short Hills Avenue, and the replacement of several sections of rail. Work has also progressed on rehabilitating both tracks between Summit and Dover with concrete crossties and new welded rail, and rehabilitation of select road overpasses.

Hurricane Sandy inflicted considerable damage on the Morristown Line on October 29–30, 2012, as fallen trees brought down catenary and signal wires and washed out sections of track, most notably through the New Jersey Meadowlands on both the main line and the Kearny Connection. Midtown Direct service was restored from Dover to New York on November 12, 2012;^[2][3] service to Hoboken and west of Dover resumed on November 19.^[4]

The Morristown Line begins at Hoboken Terminal or at New York Penn Station. Trains departing for points west of Dover require diesel locomotives. Immediately after leaving Hoboken, the route passes the coach and diesel yards before entering the 1908 Bergen Tunnels under the New Jersey Palisades just past the East End interlocking. At the west portal of the Bergen Tunnel is West End interlocking, where the Main Line, Bergen County Line and Pascack Valley Line branch off to the north. The Morristown Line then crosses over Lower Hack Lift, a vertical lift bridge built in 1927 over the Hackensack River. The line crosses under Route 7 and then passes NJ Transit's Meadowlands Maintenance Complex (MMC).

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and the New Jersey Turnpike cross overhead. The Midtown Direct trains join the Morristown line from New York at Kearny Jct. just past this overpass. The Morristown Line parallels the Amtrak Northeast Corridor and PATH lines and Interstate 280 (I-280) for a short distance here. The Waterfront Connection is just prior to the overpass at Meadows interlocking. It allows selected North Jersey Coast Line and Raritan Valley Line trains to reach Hoboken from the Northeast Corridor Line.

The line begins its journey by following I-280 and crosses a two-track swing bridge over the Passaic River. It enters the newly renovated Newark Broad Street station, which features two high platforms serving all three tracks. Within the city limits of Newark, the line runs in a trench, passing beneath numerous streets, I-280, and the Newark City Subway. At the site of the former Roseville Avenue station, now known as the Roseville interlocking, the Montclair-Boonton Line diverges to the right. The section of the track extending westward from the Passaic River to just east of Millburn station is composed of triple tracks, while the remainder of the route to Lake Hopatcong station is a double-track railway.

After passing the abandoned station at Grove Street, now the location of Green interlocking, the line crosses the Garden State Parkway and reaches East Orange, which is situated on a viaduct. Subsequent elevated stations include Brick Church and Orange. The line then curves southward over Interstate 280, passing past Highland Avenue and Mountain Station. The next station is South Orange, an elevated structure with two platforms and three tracks, near Seton Hall University. Maplewood follows, with a side platform and a center platform serving all westbound and some eastbound trains. Beyond Maplewood, the line narrows to two tracks at Millburn interlocking. Millburn and Short Hills stations each have two side platforms serving two tracks.

Summit, a major node along the line, features two high platforms with the station building located above the tracks and a glass crossover above the platforms. Some weekday local services terminate and originate here. Many private schools are located in Summit, making commuting high school students a major source of traffic for this station. Schedules are timed for most Morristown trains to facilitate a convenient transfer to a Gladstone branch train across the platform.

West of Summit, the Gladstone Branch diverges, and the line crosses the Passaic River for the second time as it enters into Chatham Township. Chatham station is situated on an embankment with two side platforms, while Madison station, on a viaduct, features a recently refurbished 1916 station house on the eastbound side.

The line encounters its first grade crossing at Convent station, located near Saint Elizabeth University. This station has two side platforms, with the main station building on the eastbound side and a brick waiting house on the westbound track. An old freight station is situated on the eastbound side, and two additional grade crossings follow this station.

Upon crossing I-287, the line enters Morristown. The Morristown station has two low side platforms and a large station building that remains open throughout the week. The station is a focal point of a new transit-oriented development, featuring ADA-compliant mini-high platform ramps at both ends. An abandoned freight station is located at the west end. West of the station, the Morristown & Erie Railway's main offices are located, and its main line diverges at this point.

The next station is Morris Plains, featuring a 1915 brick station structure. A local model railroad club occupies the freight house just north of the station. Beyond Morris Plains, the line curves through wooded areas, passing beneath Route 10, and several crossings before reaching Mount Tabor station, a small stop in Denville Township near the community of the same name in Parsippany. This station is served by select weekday and limited weekend services and lacks an eastbound platform.

Denville station lies a short distance from Mount Tabor, where the Morristown Line converges with the Montclair-Boonton Line shortly after this station.

The line proceeds over Estling Lake and alongside the Rockaway River, entering Dover. Dover station, the terminal stop within the electrified section, features a 1905 station that was recently renovated in the mid-1990s with a single high platform. Due to the cessation of electric traction infrastructure near this location, most NJ Transit services terminate here. As of 2022, all Midtown Direct Morristown Line services are exclusively electric, although future acquisitions of dual-mode locomotives by NJ Transit could alter this service configuration. Most Hoboken services on the Morristown Line are also electric, offering superior efficiency and performance, with only a few diesel-powered Hoboken services extending westward to Hackettstown. The Morristown Line's catenary wires end approximately half a mile west of Dover station near the U.S. Route 46 (US 46) overpass. There are unfunded plans^{[citation needed]} to extend electric service to Lake Hopatcong, as the Dover Yard is at capacity and Wharton's substation has been operational since 1984.

Continuing westward, two tracks extend over the Rockaway River, passing D&R Junction in Wharton, where the Dover-Rockaway Branch of Morris County diverges. Chester Junction, located on the left, provides a connection to the Chester and High Bridge Branch of Morris County. Mount Arlington park-and-ride station follows, with dual high platforms and 285 parking spaces near Exit 30 on Interstate 80 (I-80). After passing beneath I-80, Lake Hopatcong station is next. The Lackawanna Cutoff connects on the right as the train approaches Port Morris Yard, which houses the diesel fleet serving both the Montclair-Boonton and Morristown lines. Netcong station has a brick station building on the low platform and served as the line's endpoint until late 1994. Crossing beneath I-80 again, the line enters the Mount Olive International Trade Center, where a station is positioned at Waterloo Valley Road.

The route traverses Allamuchy Mountain State Park and runs along the Musconetcong River en route to Hackettstown. A freight spur serving the M&M/Mars is located on the right before the line crosses US 46 in downtown. Hackettstown station is located shortly thereafter, featuring a single low platform with a mini-high ADA ramp. The track beyond Hackettstown falls under the ownership of Norfolk Southern Railway and is operated by the Dover & Delaware River Railroad as part of the Washington Secondary extending to Phillipsburg.

Historically, the Morristown Line constituted the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. Until 1970, passenger services extended beyond Lake Hopatcong, reaching the Pocono Mountains, Scranton, Pennsylvania, Binghamton, New York, and Buffalo, New York, via the Lackawanna Cut-Off. Service along the Cut-Off to Andover is anticipated to recommence post-2025, with the completion of the first phase of the Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project. Future plans contemplate extending rail services into northeastern Pennsylvania, potentially reaching as far as Scranton.

The Morristown Line east of Dover station is electrified, using 25 kV, 60 Hz AC overhead catenary wire. The line was electrified in 1930 at 3 kV DC, but was re-electrified in 1984 at the contemporary standard of 25 kV, 60 Hz. The connecting Gladstone Branch and Montclair Branch were also re-electrified at this time.

State	Zone [5]	Location	Station[5]	Miles (km)	Date opened	Date closed	Connections / notes[5]
NY	1	Manhattan	Pennsylvania Station	0.0 (0.0)	1910		Amtrak (long distance): Cardinal, Crescent, Lake Shore Limited, Palmetto, Silver Meteor Amtrak (intercity): Acela, Adirondack, Carolinian, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, Northeast Regional, Pennsylvanian, Vermonter Long Island Rail Road: Babylon, Belmont Park, City Terminal Zone, Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Long Beach, Montauk, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson, Port Washington, Ronkonkoma, West Hempstead branches NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone, Montclair-Boonton, Northeast Corridor, Raritan Valley, North Jersey Coast lines New York City Subway: 1, ​2, and ​3 (at 34th Street – Penn Station (Seventh Avenue)), A, ​C, and ​E (at 34th Street – Penn Station (Eighth Avenue)) New York City Bus: M7, M20, M34 SBS, M34A, Q32 Academy Bus: SIM23, SIM24 Flixbus: Eastern Shuttle Vamoose Bus
NJ		Secaucus	Secaucus Junction	3.5 (5.6)	2003		NJ Transit Rail: Bergen County, Gladstone, Main, Meadowlands, Montclair-Boonton, Northeast Corridor, Pascack Valley, Raritan Valley, and North Jersey Coast lines Metro-North Railroad: Port Jervis Line NJ Transit Bus: 2, 78, 129, 329, 353
		Hoboken	Hoboken Terminal	–	1903		NJ Transit Rail: Bergen County, Gladstone, Main, Meadowlands, Montclair-Boonton, Pascack Valley, Raritan Valley, and North Jersey Coast lines Metro-North Railroad: Port Jervis Line Hudson-Bergen Light Rail: 8th Street-Hoboken, Hoboken-Tonnelle PATH: HOB-WTC, HOB-33, JSQ-33 (via HOB) NJ Transit Bus: 22, 22X, 23, 68, 85, 87, 89, 126 New York Waterway
	2
		Harrison	Harrison	7.13 (11.5)		September 16, 1984[6]
		Newark	Newark Broad Street	10.4 (16.7)	November 19, 1836[7]		NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line and Gladstone Branch Newark Light Rail: Broad Street – Newark Penn NJ Transit Bus: 11, 13, 27, 28, go28, 29, 30, 41, 72, 76, 78, 108
	4
			Roseville Avenue	11.6 (18.7)		September 16, 1984[6]
		East Orange
			Grove Street	12.2 (19.6)		April 7, 1991[8]
			East Orange	12.6 (20.3)	November 19, 1836[7]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 21, 71, 73, 79, 94 Community Coach: 77
			Brick Church	13.2 (21.2)	November 19, 1836[7]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 21, 71, 73, 79, 94, 97 Community Coach: 77 ONE Bus: 24
		Orange	Orange	14.1 (22.7)	November 19, 1836[7]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 21, 41, 71, 73, 92 Community Coach: 77 ONE Bus: 24, 44 West Orange Community Shuttle
	5		Highland Avenue	14.8 (23.8)			NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 92 ONE Bus: 44
		South Orange	Mountain Station	15.7 (25.3)			NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 92
			South Orange	16.5 (26.6)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 92, 107 ONE Bus: 31 South Orange Community Shuttle West Orange Community Shuttle
	6	Maplewood	Maplewood	17.8 (28.6)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch Maplewood Community Shuttle
			Wyoming
	7	Millburn	Millburn	19.4 (32.2)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 70
		Short Hills	Short Hills	20.4 (32.8)	July 1879[10]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch Springfield Community Shuttle
	9	Summit	Summit	22.7 (36.5)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Rail: Gladstone Branch NJ Transit Bus: 70, 986 Lakeland Bus: 78
	10	Chatham	Chatham	26.1 (42.0)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Bus: 873
	11	Madison	Madison	28.1 (45.2)	September 17, 1837[9]		NJ Transit Bus: 873
	12	Convent Station	Convent Station	30.3 (48.8)	1867[11]		NJ Transit Bus: 873, 878, 879
	14	Morristown	Morristown	32.5 (52.0)	January 1, 1838[12]		NJ Transit Bus: 871, 872, 873, 874, 880 Community Coach: 77
	16	Morris Plains	Morris Plains	34.6 (55.7)	July 4, 1848[13]		NJ Transit Bus: 872, 880
		Mount Tabor	Mount Tabor	38.3 (61.6)			NJ Transit Bus: 880
		Denville	Denville	39.3 (63.2)	July 4, 1848[13]		NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line NJ Transit Bus: 880
	17	Dover	Dover	43.1 (69.4)	July 31, 1848[14]		NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line NJ Transit Bus: 872, 875, 880 Terminus of electrification, transfer point between trains to New York/Hoboken and Dover
	19
		Wharton	Wharton			January 6, 1958[15][16]
		Mount Arlington	Mount Arlington (limited service)		January 16, 1854[17][18] January 21, 2008[19]	November 8, 1942[20][21]	NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line Lakeland Bus: 80 Also known as Howard Boulevard Park and Ride
		Roxbury	Lake Hopatcong (limited service)	48.5 (78.1)	1882[22]		NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line Lakeland Bus: 80
			Port Morris			April 24, 1949[23][24]	Passenger service ended on April 24, 1949, but the site continued to serve as split of the Lackawanna Cut-Off.
		Netcong	Netcong (limited service)	51.0 (82.1)	January 16, 1854[17][18]		NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line Former western terminus, originally Netcong-Stanhope
		Mount Olive	Mount Olive (limited service)	52.7 (84.8)	January 16, 1854[17][18] October 31, 1994[25]	April 24, 1960[26][27]	NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line Originally Waterloo
		Hackettstown	Hackettstown (limited service)	60.0 (96.6)	January 16, 1854[17] October 31, 1994[25]	September 30, 1966[28]	NJ Transit Rail: Montclair-Boonton Line

• Douglass, A.M. (1912). The Railroad Trainman, Volume 29. Cleveland, Ohio: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
• New Jersey Comptroller of the Treasury (1856). Annual Statements of the Railroad and Canal Companies of the State of New Jersey. Trenton, New Jersey: Office of "True American". Retrieved April 7, 2020.
• Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen (1913). The Conductor and Brakeman, Volume 30. Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
• Platt, Charles Davis (1922). Dover Dates, 1722-1922: A Bicentennial History of Dover, New Jersey, Published in Connection with Dover's Two Hundredth Anniversary Celebration Under the Direction of the Dover Fire Department, August 9, 10, 11, 1922. Dover, New Jersey: Charles Davis Platt. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
• Stern, Robert A.M.; Fishman, David; Tilove, Jacob (2013). Paradise Planned: The Garden Suburb and the Modern City. New York, New York: The Monacelli Press. ISBN 9781580933261.

• NJ Transit (including Morris & Essex Line) Timetables

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