 Vehicle at 2nd Street station  Map of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system (click to enlarge) It opened to the public in April 2000, with the initial operating segment connecting Bayonne and Jersey City. A second phase extended out to Hoboken Terminal, while a third phase extended west and north of the Terminal towards Weehawken. The Light Rail operates on three different lines--a black line, a turquoise line and a grey line (as noted on NJ Transit maps)--with the Hoboken Terminal being the terminus for all three lines. The black line extends out to East 22nd Street in Bayonne, the turquoise line extends out to West Side Avenue in Jersey City, and the grey line extends out to Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken.
The Hudson-Bergen Light rail system has 29 electrically-powered vehicles. The Light Rail system uses a combination of old rail and new (private) rights-of-way for most of its length, with some grade separation in certain areas. It shares a lane with automobiles on a portion of Essex Street and Christopher Columbus Avenue in downtown Jersey City, but for the most part, does not run on streets.
The line from 22nd Street to Liberty State Park was once the main line of the Central Railroad of New Jersey; the CNJ's branch to Newark was used for the line west to West Side Avenue. From Liberty State Park to Hoboken Terminal, the line uses a brand-new right-of-way. From Hoboken to the curve south of 2nd Street, the line runs next to New Jersey Transit tracks, formerly the main line of the Lackawanna Railroad; north of the curve it uses what had been Conrail's River Line, and was originally the New Jersey Junction Railroad. The tunnel under the Palisades was originally the West Shore Railroad's main line.
In order to obtain the right-of-way for the line north from Hoboken, which had been part of Conrail's River Line, New Jersey Transit paid to upgrade Conrail's Northern Running Track, which trains that had used the River Line now use.
The system currently serves an average 14,000 customers per day, and is expected to expand more than 100,000 daily when the project is completed in 2010. Proponents of the system argue that the Light Rail has been a catalyst for both residential and commercial development along the route.
After the September 11, 2001 Attacks, the PATH system's Exchange Place station was closed due to water damage in connection with the destruction of the World Trade Center. As a result, the Light Rail was the only means of rail transit to Exchange Place from points outside of Jersey City.
On September 7, 2004, the 2nd Street, 9th Street, and Lincoln Harbor stations opened to the public.
There are currently 20 stops on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and 10 future stops:
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Currently open to the public:
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Not open to the public yet:
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Timeline
- April 15, 2000: The first section opens, from 34th Street to Exchange Place, with a branch to West Side Avenue.[1] (http://www.nj.com/njtransit/hblrt.html)
- November 18, 2000: The line is extended north to Pavonia/Newport.[2] (http://thejoekorner.quuxuum.org/bayonne-jerseyc/)
- September 29, 2002: The line is extended north to Hoboken Terminal.[3] (http://thejoekorner.quuxuum.org/bayonne-jerseyc/)
- November 15, 2003: The line is extended south to 22nd Street.[4] (http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/press/2003releases/110603.htm)
- September 7, 2004: The line is extended north to Lincoln Harbor.[5] (http://www.njtransit.com/nn_press_release.jsp?PRESS_RELEASE_ID=1469)
See also
External links
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