The Montclair-Boonton Line is a commuter rail line of

New Jersey Transit Rail Operations NJ Transit Rail Operations is the rail division of NJ Transit. It operates commuter rail service in New Jersey, with most service centered on transportation to and from New York City, Hoboken, and Newark. NJ Transit also operates rail servic ...

in the United States. It is part of the Hoboken Division. The line is a consolidation of three individual lines: the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad's Montclair Branch, which ran from

Hoboken Terminal Hoboken Terminal is a commuter-oriented intermodal passenger station in Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, it is served by nine NJ Transit (NJT) commuter rail lines, one Metr ...

to Bay Street, Montclair; the Erie Railroad's Greenwood Lake Division (segment from Montclair to Mountain View-Wayne), which originally ran from the Erie's Jersey City Terminal to Greenwood Lake, NY; and the former Lackawanna Boonton Line, which ran from Hoboken to Hackettstown, New Jersey. The Montclair-Boonton line was formed when the

Montclair Connection The Montclair Connection is a short section of double-track railroad on the NJ Transit Rail Operations system in New Jersey, United States, connecting the former end of the Montclair Branch at Bay Street station to the old Boonton Line southeast ...

opened on September 30, 2002. The line serves 28 active rail stations in New Jersey along with

New York Pennsylvania Station Pennsylvania Station, also known as New York Penn Station or simply Penn Station, is the main inter-city rail, intercity railroad station in New York City and the List of busiest railway stations in North America, busiest transportation facilit ...

. It crosses through six counties, serving six stations in the township of Montclair, two in the town of Bloomfield, and one in the city of Newark. Trains along the Montclair-Boonton Line heading eastward usually originate at Hackettstown, Mount Olive, Lake Hopatcong,

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maids ...

, or Montclair State University, bound for either Hoboken Terminal or New York Penn Station. On system maps the line is colored maroon and its symbol is a bird, after the state bird, the eastern goldfinch. For 2010, of 31 inbound and 34 outbound daily weekday trains, 21 inbound and 22 outbound

Midtown Direct The Kearny Connection is a railroad junction in Kearny, New Jersey that allows passenger trains from New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines to enter Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) and travel to and from New York Penn Station. The juncti ...

trains (about 66%) use the Kearny Connection to Secaucus Junction and New York Penn Station; the rest go to Hoboken Terminal. Trains to

Hoboken Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...

run only at

rush hour A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian English) is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice every weekday: o ...

. Passengers can transfer at Secaucus Junction, Newark Broad Street Station, Montclair State University, or Dover to reach other destinations if necessary. Truncated weekend service on the Montclair-Boonton Line began on November 8, 2009, with service every two hours between Bay Street station in Montclair and Hoboken terminal, with the train making all local stops. This was an extension of existing Hoboken-to-Newark service, previously listed on the Morris & Essex timetables. Plans for connecting the two lines (the New York & Greenwood Lake Railroad (later the Boonton Line) and the Montclair Branch) dated back to 1929, when a rail connection through Montclair was proposed. Despite years of debate over the connection, nothing came to fruition until 1991. Lackawanna Terminal in Montclair closed in 1981, replaced by the new Bay Street station on the alignment that eventually would extend to the connection. In 1991, studies were conducted by New Jersey Transit regarding the creation of the Montclair Connection, and in 2002, after construction was completed, the Boonton Line from east of Walnut Street station to Arlington was abandoned and all trains took the new alignment via the Montclair Branch between a newly rebuilt Bay Street station and Walnut Street. Service began on September 30, 2002 and three stations on the old Boonton Line were closed, Benson Street in Glen Ridge, Rowe Street in Bloomfield, and Arlington station in Kearny. As of 2022, the derelict right-of-way is being converted to a rail trail. Besides the Montclair Connection, service was extended in 1994 from Netcong station to Hackettstown via tracks owned by

Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do bus ...

(now Norfolk Southern). Stations at Roseville Avenue in Newark,

Ampere The ampere (, ; symbol: A), often shortened to amp,SI supports only the use of symbols and deprecates the use of abbreviations for units. is the unit of electric current in the International System of Units (SI). One ampere is equal to elect ...

in East Orange, and Great Notch in Little Falls were closed in 1984, 1991, and 2010 respectively. Two service expansions have been proposed using the under-construction branch to

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Andov ...

via the

Lackawanna Cut-Off (NJ Transit) The Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project is a New Jersey Transit and Amtrak effort to restore passenger service to the Lackawanna Cut-Off in northwest New Jersey. Begun in 2011 and underway as of 2022, the project's Phase 1 is meant to exten ...

project, an extension on old New York and Greenwood Lake tracks to Pompton Junction, and the

New York, Susquehanna and Western The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (or New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and also known as the Susie-Q or the Susquehanna) is a Class II American freight railway operating over 400 miles (645 km) of track in t ...

. There is also a proposal to extend service along the Washington Secondary as a rapid transit improvement to the

New Jersey Route 57 Route 57 is a state highway located in Warren County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It runs from an interchange with U.S. Route 22 (US 22) in Lopatcong Township to an intersection with Route 182 and County Route 517 (CR 517) in ...

corridor via Washington Borough to Phillipsburg.

History

Montclair Branch (Delaware, Lackawanna and Western)

The Montclair Branch was chartered in 1852 as the Newark and Bloomfield Railroad, running through Bloomfield and nearby West Bloomfield (present-day Montclair). However, tracks were not constructed along the owned right-of-way until 1856; in June of that year trains began running between Newark, Bloomfield, and West Bloomfield. The railroad had a large deficit to start; the ticket agent at West Bloomfield was also the brakeman for the one-car train. Watessing Avenue station pre-depression

On April 1, 1868, the Morris & Essex Railroad bought out the alignment of the Newark and Bloomfield Railroad. The Morris & Essex began running services on the line, which was renamed the "Montclair Branch" when West Bloomfield was similarly renamed to "Montclair" shortly after. The

Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (also known as the DL&W or Lackawanna Railroad) was a U.S. Class 1 railroad that connected Buffalo, New York, and Hoboken, New Jersey (and by ferry with New York City), a distance of . Incorporated in ...

soon gained trackage rights, and by the turn of the 20th century, the railroad had begun constructing track depressions and raises to eliminate grade-level crossings on city streets. In 1912, the Montclair Branch was depressed, elevated, and double tracked, and grade crossings were eliminated. The stations at Watsessing Avenue and Glen Ridge were constructed below street level, while Ampere and Bloomfield stations were constructed above street level. Roseville Avenue station was already depressed, below street level, in 1903. In June 1913, the new Lackawanna Terminal (named after the Delaware, ''Lackawanna'', and Western) opened in Montclair.

William H. Botsford William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of ...

designed it, but did not live to see it open as he died in the sinking of the ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...

'' in 1912. The brick station building followed a Grecian-Doric style of architecture, which included creative uses of concrete for the arches and

dentil A dentil (from Lat. ''dens'', a tooth) is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice. Dentils are found in ancient Greek and Roman architecture, and also in later styles such as Neoclassical, Federal, Georgian R ...

s. Lackawanna Terminal had six tracks and three concrete platforms, with a large bridge which carried Grove Street in Montclair over the tracks. The Montclair Branch was the first fully electrified suburban railroad, wired in 1930. The inaugural train was driven by

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...

, who had helped develop the line. On July 26, 1945, the Morris & Essex Railroad Company was officially dissolved, and the company became part of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western. The lines were then maintained as the Morris & Essex Division.

New York and Greenwood Lake Railroad (Erie)

The New York & Greenwood Lake Railway originated as the New York and Montclair Railroad, granted a state charter in 1867 to construct a railroad from

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark. The New York & Greenwood Lake Railway became a subsidiary of the Erie Railroad by 1884 and the remains of what was once its track is now the Walnut Street – Mountain View stretch of the Montclair-Boonton Line. The original railroad extended farther, via the former alignment through Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, Newark and reaching into Kearny, where it crossed the

Hackensack River The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the subur ...

and the Meadowlands into Jersey City. It had two stations in the Arlington section of Kearny: Arlington and West Arlington; Forest Hill and North Newark in Newark; Belwood Park, Rowe Street, Orchard Street, and Walnut Street in Bloomfield, and Benson Street in Glen Ridge. At Forest Hill in Newark the Orange Branch split at OJ Tower, constructed in 1897. Orange Branch passenger service was discontinued on May 20, 1955, but freight service lingered until 1994 when the track was removed from White Street in West Orange to the Watsessing section of Bloomfield. A portion of track was used until 2010 by Norfolk Southern to serve the Hartz Mountain plant, which was shuttered that year. At one time the Orange Branch served many industries along its right of way. Some track remains today for the Newark Light Rail, including Silver Lake Station, which was a station on the branch. The station, today known as Walnut Street, was then known as Montclair-Erie Plaza to differentiate it from the nearby Montclair Lackawanna Terminal. The line also had an extension to Sterling Forest and Ringwood near the state line with New York.

Boonton Branch

The

Boonton Branch The Boonton Branch refers to the railroad line in New Jersey that was completed in 1870 and ran 34 miles (54.8 km) from Hoboken to East Dover Junction as part of the Morris & Essex Railroad (M&E). Although the branch hosted commuter trains ...

of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad was first constructed as a freight bypass of the Morris & Essex Railroad in 1868. This was constructed due to the unsuitability of its passenger lines to carry freight (and a lack of freight customers along the line) and stretched from the Denville station to

via

Boonton Boonton is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 8,815, an increase of 468 (+5.6%) from the 2010 census count of 8,347, which in turn reflected a decline of 149 (− ...

and Paterson. Freight service began on September 12, 1870, while passenger service began on December 14, 1870.

Erie Lackawanna Railroad

On October 1, 1960, the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad (DL&W) and Erie Railroad merged to form the

Erie-Lackawanna Railroad The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The official motto of the line was "The Friendly Service Route ...

. In 1963, the old DL&W

was abandoned between Mountain View and Paterson and its right of way was sold to the NJ Department of Transportation for the new highways

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one ...

and what's now known as

New Jersey Route 19 Route 19 is a state highway in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. Also referred to as the Paterson Peripheral, it runs from an intersection with County Route 509 (CR 509, Broad Street) and CR 609 (Colfax Avenue) in Clifton n ...

(NJ 19 had originally been designated

New Jersey Route 20 Route 20, known locally as McLean Boulevard, is a state highway that runs 4.15 miles (6.68 km) in New Jersey, United States. It runs along the east side of Paterson, Passaic County, following the west bank of the Passaic River between U.S ...

; the westernmost segment of NJ 20 connected eastward via Paterson Plank Road with what is now

New Jersey Route 120 Route 120 is a state highway located in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It extends from an interchange with Route 3 in East Rutherford to another interchange with Route 17 in Carlstadt, where it continues to the west as County Rou ...

, replicating Paterson Plank Road from Jersey City through the Meadowlands, Rutherford, and Clifton to Paterson) The railroad could have paid for a single track to be laid along the new highways, but the Erie-Lackawanna demurred as it was strapped for cash. To allow the western end of the Boonton Line access into Hoboken, the east end of the Erie's former Greenwood Lake Branch, between Bergen Junction at Croxton and Mountain View in Wayne, was joined to the west end of the DL&W's former Boonton Line between Wayne and Denville. The line was renamed the Greenwood Lake-Boonton Line in recognition of its two predecessors. The original DL&W Boonton Line east of Clifton was joined with the Erie's Main Line as part of a project to remove tracks through

Passaic Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69, ...

New Jersey Transit

In 1983, the maintenance of the Montclair Branch and the Boonton Line were taken over entirely by New Jersey Transit. The Boonton Line at that point began out of Hoboken Terminal, heading westward through the Jersey Meadows and into Kearny, crossing the Passaic river at West Arlington and going through North Newark, Bloomfield, and Glen Ridge before entering Montclair and continuing on from the current Walnut Street station to Netcong station. The Montclair Branch, designated part of the Morris & Essex Lines, which consisted of the Montclair Branch,

Morristown Line 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 outbou ...

, and

Gladstone Branch The Gladstone Branch (also known as the Gladstone Line) is a commuter rail line operated by NJ Transit from Gladstone station, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, to either Hoboken Terminal or New York Penn Station. It is one of two branches of t ...

, had six stations: Roseville Avenue in Newark, Ampere in East Orange, Watsessing Avenue in Bloomfield, Bloomfield station, Glen Ridge station, and Bay Street in Montclair. The Montclair Branch was an electrified service; however, the Boonton Line was a diesel line. Over the next decade, New Jersey Transit closed several stations over the length of the Montclair Branch. The Harrison and Roseville Avenue stations were closed on September 16, 1984; the Ampere station in East Orange was closed less than seven years later, on April 7, 1991. Plans to extend the Morristown Line and Boonton Line westward from Netcong station to Hackettstown were proposed in June 1992 as part of proposed service extension. On November 6, 1994, service was ceremonially extended along Norfolk Southern's

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

Secondary from Netcong Station with the creation of the stops in Mount Olive and Hackettstown. Trackage between those two stations and Netcong is still Norfolk Southern's, though anything east of Netcong remains New Jersey Transit's.

Montclair Connection

In 2002, New Jersey Transit finished construction of the Montclair Connection, a small set of tracks along Pine Street in Montclair that connected the Boonton Line and the Montclair Branch. The concept of the Montclair Connection had been originated in 1929 by the Regional Plan Association, to connect the New York & Greenwood Lake with the Montclair Branch. However, the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, which began in 1929, shelved plans for the connection. Three decades after the Erie's Main Line was realigned out of Passaic (in 1963), New Jersey Transit returned to the plan for the Montclair Connection. The original plan was for a one-track diesel connection, but this grew into a two-track electric connection with extension of catenary wires. After negotiations with the township of Montclair, detailed plans and design began in 1998, and construction began just a year later. Montclair Connection North

When the Montclair Connection was completed in 2002, the names of the Montclair Branch and Boonton Line were eliminated in favor of the labeling the new whole "the Montclair-Boonton Line". Although no stations along the Montclair Branch (Watsessing, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, and Bay Street) were closed, three stations along the old Greenwood Lake alignment had service end on September 20, 2002: Arlington station, in Kearny, Rowe Street, in Bloomfield, and Benson Street, in Glen Ridge. This alignment was turned over to Norfolk Southern for maintenance. The station building at Benson Street was damaged by a fire in the 1980s and had fallen into disrepair; in May 2009, it was sold to a private developer and entirely rebuilt. During the Montclair Connection's construction, Bay Street station, which was a single platform with only one track, was rebuilt entirely, with two high-level platforms and new tracks. The new connection also introduced service to New York Penn Station for commuters along the line; trains previously went only to

. The new services included diesel service and express trains to Montclair Heights, making stops from Great Notch to Hackettstown, and new

service trains from Montclair Heights to New York, with transfers between them at Great Notch. There was also additional Morristown line Midtown Direct service to New York, available only at Denville and Dover stations. Other upgrades along the line included a revamping of

Great Notch Yard Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great ...

for state-of-the-art service. However, no weekend service was implemented on the line. 11 miles of rail line from Montclair to Jersey City were shut down following the completion of the Montclair Connection and the DB and WR drawbridges were abandoned in the open position. Shortly thereafter a coalition of walking, biking and trails group began to advocate for the railway to be converted into a trail and greenway known as the "Essex-Hudson Greenway."

Montclair State University Station

On June 10, 2002,

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...

James E. McGreevey James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

announced a partnership with Montclair State University (MSU) as part of the Midtown Direct service. On July 18, 2002, partnership announced plans for a new train station and parking facility for commuters in Little Falls. Before the Construction of Montclair State University Station, students at Montclair State University could only use Montclair Heights station to access the campus. Construction of the station was delayed by lawsuits from the township of Montclair because of residential displacement and parking issues. The station was proposed with a 1300-space parking deck and a cost of $36 million (2002 USD). The $36 million came entirely from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority in bonds to Montclair State University. On October 20, 2004, the new Montclair State University Station at Little Falls opened in a ceremony led by executive director George Warrington and MSU president Susan Cole. The new station had a parking deck with 1500 spaces, reducing road congestion. This differed from the original proposal, which had called for 1,300 parking spaces. Electrified service was then extended from Montclair Heights station north a mile to Montclair State University, although catenary wires continue westward to the former Great Notch station.

Wayne–Route 23 and Mount Arlington stations

Prior to 2008, the only station in Wayne was the downtown

Mountain View station Mountain View, signed on the platform as Mountain View–Wayne, is a station on the Montclair-Boonton Line of NJ Transit in Wayne, New Jersey. Prior to the Montclair Connection in 2002, the station was served by the Boonton Line. The station ...

. The only station in the area around Lake Hopatcong was

Lake Hopatcong station Lake Hopatcong is a commuter railroad station for New Jersey Transit. The station, located in the community of Landing in Roxbury Township, Morris County, New Jersey, United States, serves trains for the Montclair-Boonton Line and Morristown Lin ...

in Landing (this station has been referred to on timetables as Lake Hopatcong-Mount Arlington). In 2008, both the Wayne-Route 23 Transit Center and Mount Arlington Intermodal Train Station and Park & Ride opened. Wayne-Route 23 is located in Wayne, near the Westbelt Mall at the U.S. Route 46, Interstate 80, Route 23 interchange; this was also the site of the Singac station, which closed four decades before the new transit center opened. On September 13, 2006, construction of the $16.3 million project was announced; the

general contractor A general contractor, main contractor or prime contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the course of ...

was J.H. Reid of South Plainfield. The new station was built to reduce traffic on nearby highways, by diverting commuters to trains or buses. Construction on Mount Arlington Station, which was already a parking lot with 228 spaces for

Lakeland Bus Lakeland Bus Lines, Inc is a privately chartered and apportioned bus company headquartered in Dover, New Jersey. Lakeland operates commuter routes from Morris, Sussex, Somerset and Essex Counties, NJ to New York City. Routes Lakeland Bus Li ...

, began on April 12, 2006. The new train station was built to relieve traffic on Interstate 80, and 57 new parking spaces were added to the lot. The project was slated to cost $12.1 million, and the contract was given to Terminal Construction Corporation of Wood-Ridge. Both stations were completed within nine days of each other: the Wayne-Route 23 Transit Center opened on January 12, 2008, with train service beginning two days later; Mount Arlington Station opened on January 21, 2008, and is the newest station on the line.

Weekend service

In 2002, after construction on the Montclair Connection was completed, there was no weekend service on the new Montclair-Boonton Line. Over the ensuing six years, officials from Montclair urged New Jersey Transit to offer weekend service on the Montclair-Boonton Line, which was the only NJT line without it. Montclair Township's proposal cited the benefits of weekend service to the communities along the line, including reduced traffic congestion and

carbon footprint A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbo ...

. The agency repeatedly declined to expand the service because Montclair limited the use of train horns between 7 pm and 7 am. New Jersey Transit had received requests for weekend service since 2007, and denied them citing capacity issues and turning off electric power for bridge replacement. Advocates have dismissed these reasons as "excuses" and locals said it would improve their quality of life. On September 30, 2009, New Jersey Transit announced service every two hours between Bay Street station and Hoboken Terminal, an approximately 35-minute trip. The service started on November 8, 2009 with a ceremony at Bay Street station in Montclair.

Closure of Great Notch

Hackettstown-bound direction at Great Notch

Great Notch was a small station on the south side of Long Hill Road (Passaic County Route 631) in Great Notch. The station dated back to 1905 as a transfer point between the New York & Greenwood Lake and its Caldwell Branch to

Essex Fells, New Jersey Essex Fells is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 2,113,Montclair State University station in 2004, about a mile away, ridership at the old station, which had only 69 parking spaces, began to dwindle. By January 2008, only one train inbound to Hoboken and two trains outbound towards Hackettstown/Dover stopped at Great Notch. In August 2008, New Jersey Transit approached the community of Great Notch, part of Little Falls, saying that the 103-year-old station would be closed by October. After a few days, there was public protest against the possible closure, and on September 3, a public meeting was held to strike a deal with residents. On April 1, 2009, after negotiations with Michael DeFrancisci, the mayor of Little Falls, the station and town were given a "one-year test" to attract ridership at the small station. The quota to keep the station open was 67 people using the station by December 31, 2009 and 100+ by April 1, 2010. On December 18, 2009, the test was canceled when Little Falls was informed by New Jersey Transit that the Great Notch Station would be closed on January 17, 2010 due to the anemic ridership at the station. New Jersey Transit cited in a

press release A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public release. Press releases are also considere ...

that the station only was receiving an average of nine boardings daily. The remaining passengers were directed to use either Montclair State University station or Little Falls station.

Hurricane Sandy

The Montclair-Boonton Line received serious damage from

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

on October 29–30, 2012, due to fallen trees blocking the tracks and bringing down catenary and signal wires. The line was completely shut down until November 14, when limited electric Midtown Direct and Hackettstown-Hoboken diesel service was restored.

Service extensions

Lackawanna Cut-Off

According to the ''2020 Transit: Possibilities For The Future'' report produced by New Jersey Transit in October 2000, the Montclair-Boonton Line is a candidate for further rail expansion beyond the Montclair Connection. The Lackawanna Cut-Off, a project from Lake Hopatcong to

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...

, is to start off as the Andover Branch off Montclair-Boonton Line trains. The Lackawanna Cut-Off was the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western relocated mainline, which saw passenger service from 1911 to 1970. As part of the

Minimal Operable Segment Minimal may refer to: * Minimal (music genre), art music that employs limited or minimal musical materials * "Minimal" (song), 2006 song by Pet Shop Boys * Minimal (supermarket) or miniMAL, a former supermarket chain in Germany and Poland * Min ...

(MOS), only a stretch to Andover, New Jersey is to be active. Passenger trains will use an upgraded alignment from the Montclair-Boonton/Morristown mainline at Port Morris Junction with several Montclair-Boonton trains taking the junction to Andover.

Beyond Hackettstown

The report also cited the study of extending service on the Montclair-Boonton from the current Hackettstown station, a single-sided platform in downtown Hackettstown along the current Washington Secondary, maintained by Norfolk Southern to Phillipsburg, New Jersey via

. One of two extensions proposed to Phillipsburg, the line would follow

through Port Murray, Rockport, Washington, Stewartsville, and into Phillipsburg, where it would meet an extended Raritan Valley Line. Locals have expressed support for the extensions on the active Class I freight line, and would use automobiles to get to the stations' newly designed park and rides. The expansion of passenger service on the Washington Secondary is a small part of new public transport on the Route 57 corridor, an attempt to attract service past Hackettstown from the northern New Jersey and New York corridors. However, the candidate project has not yet been funded by New Jersey Transit.

Pompton Extension

The third and final extension relates to the possibility of using the New York and Greenwood Lake trackage from Mountain View station northward to the old Pompton Junction station. The project, called the Pompton Extension, is part of an effort to connect service from the Montclair-Boonton to the candidate rail service to Sparta, New Jersey on the

New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (or New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and also known as the Susie-Q or the Susquehanna) is a Class II American freight railway operating over 400 miles (645 km) of track in t ...

. This service would connect the stations at Pequannock, Pompton Plains, Bloomingdale and connect at the site of the former Pompton Junction station. However, unlike the other projects, the Pompton Extension is still in study and not a candidate for funding. A location for a yard in Sparta could not be agreed on.

Route description

East of Bloomfield

Train service on the Montclair-Boonton Line begins at either

, which includes all weekend service, or

New York Penn Station Pennsylvania Station, also known as New York Penn Station or simply Penn Station, is the main intercity railroad station in New York City and the busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere, serving more than 600,000 passengers ...

. From there, trains use the alignment of the

west through the Bergen Tunnels from Hoboken, over the

Lower Hack Lift The Lower Hack Lift is a lift bridge carrying the New Jersey Transit Morristown Line across the Hackensack River at mile 3.4, Jersey City, New Jersey. The massive 3-track lift span was built in 1927–28 by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Ra ...

bridge across the

. After crossing the Hackensack, the lines pass through Kearny and Harrison. Harrison was the site of a passenger station built in 1904 during the track-raising project by William Truesdale, which started in 1901. Ampere Station - 2010

From Harrison, the lines cross over the

Passaic River Passaic River ( ) is a river, approximately long, in Northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, ...

and along Bridge 7.48, a swing drawbridge built in 1901, where they enter the city of Newark and stop at Newark Broad Street Station. Broad Street Station is the first station in active service after Secaucus Junction. Continuing through Newark, the station enters the Roseville district of Newark, where the former Roseville Avenue station was located. Roseville Avenue was constructed in 1905, in the track depression through Roseville along the Morris & Essex Lines. Roseville Avenue Station had two separate sets of platforms (one for the Montclair Branch and one for the Morris & Essex Lines). Although the station was closed on September 16, 1984, the Roseville Tower remained until it was demolished in 2002 to make way for the Montclair Connection. At Roseville Avenue station, the Montclair-Boonton Line and Morris & Essex Lines diverge, with the Morris & Essex continuing west to

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for a m ...

and points west, while the Montclair-Boonton turns to the north through Roseville and into the community of East Orange, where it crosses through the Ampere district. Near the intersection of Springdale Avenue and Ampere Parkway, trains pass through the site of the former Ampere Station. Ampere was built around 1909 and remained in use during New Jersey Transit days until April 7, 1991, when along with Grove Street, the station was closed. From here, the lines continue into Bloomfield.

Bloomfield and Glen Ridge

Freeman Parkway, Toney's Brook, and Montclair-Boonton Line

After crossing from East Orange into Bloomfield, the Montclair-Boonton Line almost immediately enters its next station (and its first past Newark Broad Street), the Watsessing Avenue station. The station is on an open cut, and is one of two stations that were built underground during the grade crossing elimination in 1912. After crossing under Watsessing Avenue (and Dodd Street), the lines continue northward, crossing under the Garden State Parkway between the northbound and southbound toll plazas of Exit 148. After traversing

Watsessing Park Watsessing Park is a park in Essex County, New Jersey, in the city of East Orange and the Watsessing section of Bloomfield Township. The park covers 69 acres (279,000 m²), just west of the Garden State Parkway, and contains the confluence of th ...

, the tracks return to being above-ground and enter

Bloomfield Station Bloomfield is a New Jersey Transit station in Bloomfield, New Jersey along the Montclair-Boonton Line. The station is located in downtown Bloomfield, the second within the municipality, just west of Bloomfield Avenue. This is the second station ...

. The current Bloomfield station was constructed in 1912 during grade crossing elimination, when tracks were raised above street-level. From here, the station continues northwestward, paralleling Toney's Brook through Bloomfield (to the southeast of

Bloomfield Avenue The Newark-Pompton Turnpike (now known in portions of its former route as Pompton Avenue, Route 23, and Bloomfield Avenue), is a roadway in northern New Jersey that was originally a tolled turnpike. The roadway was first laid out in the mid- ...

). After a short distance, the tracks enter the community of Glen Ridge and heads back below street level. At the overpass with Ridgewood Avenue (Essex County Route 653), the line enters the namesake Glen Ridge station. Glen Ridge contains two platforms, and its station building, built in 1912, is above track level, similar to Watsessing Avenue. After Glen Ridge station, the Montclair-Boonton Line continues west before crossing under

(County Route 506) and entering Montclair.

Montclair

After crossing under Bloomfield Avenue the Montclair-Boonton Line enters the namesake community of Montclair. It leaves the DL&W alignment and curves rightward into Bay Street station just after Bloomfield Avenue. Bay Street is the newest station on the Montclair Branch portion of the Montclair-Boonton Line, built in 1981 to replace the nearby Lackawanna Terminal, which was becoming a "white elephant". This station is the north end of service on weekends. After Bay Street the line parallels Pine Street on new track to join the Erie (NY&GL) alignment. After the merge near the intersection of Pine Street and Grant Street the line continues north and enters Walnut Street station near Erie Park (named after the Erie Railroad that once used the rails). The current Walnut Street station was built in 1952 as Montclair station after the larger structure was demolished. This station is the first of the five along the New York & Greenwood Lake portion of the Montclair-Boonton Line and has two low side platforms at grade. The lines parallel Erie Street, once again named after the predecessor railroad, continuing north through several parks in Montclair. After Woodman Field the line enters the

Watchung Avenue station Watchung Avenue (known as Park Street until April 1, 1919) is a New Jersey Transit station at the intersection of Watchung Avenue, Watchung Plaza, and Park Street in Montclair, New Jersey along the Montclair-Boonton Line. The Watchung Avenue stati ...

, the third of six stations in Montclair. Watchung Avenue Station was built in 1901 as an Erie Railroad Type V station (according to the 1920 Interstate Commerce Report for the Erie), separated by less than a mile from the nearby stations. Watchung Avenue station has two low platforms on embankments and sits next to a bridge over the namesake Watchung Avenue.

Upper Montclair

The tracks continue northward across the bridge and Valley Road where they enter the Upper Montclair district. The tracks parallel Anderson Park before crossing Bellevue Avenue and entering the Upper Montclair station. Upper Montclair is the fourth station in Montclair, also having two low platforms. The old Type V station building, built in 1898, suffered a fire on February 5, 2006. The station building is being rebuilt, although larger than the original. Although a planned re-opening was set for the weekend of February 14, 2010, the new Upper Montclair station was ceremoniously reopened by New Jersey Transit and state officials, along with Montclair mayor Jerry Fried on June 18, 2010. Montclair Heights station

After Upper Montclair station the tracks turn northeast, crossing under Lorraine Avenue, and paralleling Valley Road. The line continues northward paralleling Upper Mountain Avenue through the Upper Montclair district. A short distance later, the tracks enter Mountain Avenue, the next to last station in Montclair. Mountain Avenue has two low platforms, and the nearby station building, which is rented by New Jersey Transit as a private residence. The building was constructed in 1889 by the New York & Greenwood Lake as an irregular shape, similar to Benson Street station on the former Boonton Line alignment east of Montclair. After Mountain Avenue the tracks continue northward through Upper Montclair, passing through Mountainside Park and crossing Mount Hebron Road. After Mount Hebron Road, the tracks pass a bird sanctuary and enter the

Montclair Heights station Montclair Heights (signed as Montclair Heights–Home of Montclair State University) is a New Jersey Transit station in the Montclair Heights area of Montclair Township, New Jersey. Located along the Montclair-Boonton Line at the Normal Ave ...

. The final station in Montclair, Montclair Heights has a mini-high ADA ramp and low platforms. The original station building was constructed in 1905 under an Erie Type V design, until closure in 1959 by the Erie Railroad for economic reasons. The station is also signed as the "Home of Montclair State University". The station itself is at the south end of the campus and was the transfer station until the namesake station for the college opened in 2004. After Montclair Heights, the trains cross town lines, leaving Montclair in favor of Little Falls, New Jersey.

Montclair State University to Little Falls

Along the southern end of Montclair State University, the Montclair-Boonton Line crosses out of Montclair north of Montclair Heights station and into the town Little Falls. The tracks head northward, paralleling Long Hill Road (Passaic County Route 631) through the university campus. From there, the road begins a parallel along Clove Road and soon enters the final active electrified station along the Montclair-Boonton Line until Denville, Montclair State University station (officially known as the Montclair State University Station at Little Falls). The station is the set transfer between electric and diesel service, as people heading westward to Dover or Hackettstown need to transfer for further service. The station has a large island platform and also has a 1530-space parking garage on campus. Little Falls NJT Station

A short distance after Montclair State University, the tracks turn to the northwest, leave campus grounds and cross over Clove Road. The tracks loop around campus and pass

and the site of the now-closed

Great Notch station Great Notch station was a small New Jersey Transit facility in the Great Notch section of Little Falls, New Jersey. The station was served seven times a day, three inbound morning trains to Hoboken Terminal and four outbound evening trains fr ...

. Great Notch was a one platform station in the Great Notch district of Little Falls. The station consisted of a shelter (which replaced a building built in 1905 and burned down in 1988) and benches. After ridership at the station became "anemic", Great Notch was shut down on January 17, 2010, with the last train departing two days prior. Great Notch and its Yard serve as the end of the electrified catenary wires above on the Montclair-Boonton Line. This station was also the site of the transfer to the Erie's Caldwell Branch to

Essex Fells, New Jersey Essex Fells is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 2,113, torn up in 1979. After Great Notch, the tracks continued southwestward through Little Falls, crossing under Long Hill Road (CR 631) and Francisco Road (CR 612) before making a curve back to the northwest at a siding on Cedar Grove Road. The tracks then go over a curved bridge over the Peckman River. The northwestern-bound tracks enter downtown Little Falls, paralleling New Jersey Route 23 into the namesake Little Falls station at Union Boulevard (CR 646). Little Falls is a one low platform station, with the original building, constructed in 1915, standing on the single platform. The station has a 194-spot parking lot and the brick building is used as a waiting room. After the station, the tracks continue northwestward, approaching the Passaic River once again at the community of Singac. The community of Singac is the former site of the namesake Singac Station, which has been out of service for quite a while. After the Passaic, the tracks enter the town of Wayne.

Wayne-Route 23 and Mountain View

After crossing County Route 631 for yet a third time in Singac, the tracks cross over the Passaic River and enter Wayne, New Jersey. There, the tracks parallel Route 23 near Willowbrook Mall and through the interchange between Route 23, U.S. Route 46, and

. After crossing under Interstate 80, the tracks parallel Route 23 and into Westbelt, where the tracks enter the second-newest station on the line, the Wayne-Route 23 Inter-modal Transit Center. Wayne-Route 23 opened on January 12, 2008 with a single high platform and the nearby bus terminal. Wayne-Route 23 Transit Center also contains 1,000 parking spaces for use by travelers. After leaving Wayne-Route 23, the tracks continue to parallel Route 23 and enter downtown Wayne. The tracks cross Fayette Avenue Park and parallel the Pequannock River into the U.S. Route 202 and Route 23 in the downtown portion. After paralleling Fayette Avenue, the tracks enter

. Mountain View station has one low platform and serves as the station for downtown Wayne. The station building at Mountain View was built in 1910 as an Erie Type 4 station (according to the ICC reports), but by 1965 had been replaced by a simple

Armco AK Steel Holdings Corporation was a steelmaking company headquartered in West Chester Township, Butler County, Ohio. The company, whose name was derived from the initials of Armco, its predecessor company, and Kawasaki Steel Corporation, was a ...

shelter. Mountain View was also the site of the New York & Greenwood Lake's extension to Pequannock, the New York Susquehanna & Western in

Pompton Lakes Pompton Lakes is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 11,097,Wanaque, New Jersey Wanaque () is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 11,116,Norfolk Southern Local H-02 uses it twice a week to reach the Totowa Industrial Spur. From this point, the Montclair-Boonton Line follows the alignment of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's

Lincoln Park to Mountain Lakes

West-northwest of the curve, the present line is back on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western's Boonton Branch original alignment. This parallels U.S. Route 202 (the

Boonton Turnpike Boonton is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 8,815, an increase of 468 (+5.6%) from the 2010 census count of 8,347, which in turn reflected a decline of 149 (− ...

) through Wayne. The alignment crosses the Pequannock River once again, entering

Lincoln Park, New Jersey Lincoln Park is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 10,521,namesake Lincoln Park station. Lincoln Park station has a low platform and the station building, a Type W-103 station built in 1904. The tracks continue westward, paralleling U.S. Route 202 through Lincoln Park and making a curve into Montville, New Jersey. In Montville, the tracks head to the southwest through the Towaco district. The tracks continue, paralleling and crossing under Route 202 before entering the

Towaco station Towaco is a station on NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line located between U.S. Route 202 and Whitehall Road in the eponymous neighborood of Montville Township, Morris County, New Jersey. The station opened as Whitehall in 1870 along the Boo ...

. Towaco's station building was constructed in 1911 and serves as the only station in Montville, with one low platform for the single track. Denville Station M-B platform

The tracks continue westward through Montville, paralleling and crossing U.S. Route 202 once again. Just before the overpass of Interstate 287, the tracks pass the site of the original Montville station. Montville was constructed in 1903 as a Type W-1 frame station and cost only $2400. The tracks cross over Interstate 287 and make a gradual turn to the southwest. There, the line parallels U.S. Route 202 and Interstate 287 south of the Taylortown district until entering

. After crossing Wooton Street, the tracks enter the

Boonton station Boonton is a NJ Transit station in Boonton, Morris County, New Jersey, United States along the Montclair-Boonton Line. It is located on Main Street ( County Route 511), near Myrtle Avenue ( U.S. Route 202) and I-287. The original 190 ...

. Boonton station was originally much longer, with the brick and slate station constructed in 1905 as the largest community on the Boonton Line since Paterson. The station currently has a relatively short low platform, brick head-house shelter and a mini-high ADA ramp. After leaving the Boonton station, the tracks continue to the southeast, paralleling Interstate 287 and U.S. Route 202. Just after crossing the

Rockaway River The Rockaway River is a tributary of the Passaic River, approximately 35 mi (56 km) long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The upper course of the river flows through a wooded mountainous valley, whereas the lower course flo ...

the tracks pass the still existing

DL&W The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (also known as the DL&W or Lackawanna Railroad) was a U.S. Class 1 railroad that connected Buffalo, New York, and Hoboken, New Jersey (and by ferry with New York City), a distance of . Incorporated in ...

Freight House and the West Boonton Yard, home of The

United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey The United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey, Inc. (or URHS of NJ) is a non profit educational organization directed at supporting the preservation of New Jersey's historical railroad equipment and artifacts for the proposed New Jersey Trans ...

. There many antique train cars and locomotives that once ran on these tracks are being restored. The tracks continue out of Boonton and into the Intervale placename. At Intervale, Interstate 287 and U.S. Route 202 turn to the southeast and away from the rail line, which continues southwestward into

Mountain Lakes A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

. At the intersection of Midvale Road and Elm Road, the tracks enter the namesake

Mountain Lakes station Mountain Lakes is a commuter railroad station in the borough of Mountain Lakes, Morris County, New Jersey, United States. Serviced by New Jersey Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line, the station is the first/last station after the Morristown Line mer ...

. Mountain Lakes has a single low platform used for train service, while its station building, built in 1912 sits nearby as a restaurant.

Denville to Mount Arlington

After Mountain Lakes station, the Montclair-Boonton Line continues westward through Mountain Lakes and parallels Pollard Road. The alignment crosses U.S. Route 46 and heads to the northwest along Route 46 through Rainbow Lakes. The line crosses under

and intersecting with the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western's Rockaway Branch (discontinued in 1948), where the station enters the one platform on the north end of

Denville station Denville is an active commuter railroad train station in Denville Township, Morris County, New Jersey. Located on Estling Road, the station contains three side platforms–two curved low-level platforms that service New Jersey Transit's Morristo ...

. The Denville station is built for two lines and has two separate platforms, including one for the Morristown Line, which merges nearby. Denville station had a Type W-3 Delaware, Lackawanna and Western-style wooden frame station built in 1904, which has since been razed. The shell of Denville Tower still stands, and is used as a communications center for New Jersey Transit. After Denville, electrified service begins once again, heading westward across Estling Lake and Franklin Lake before continuing along the Route 46 corridor and into

. After Mountain Park, the line crosses through Dover Yard, which is a six storage track station. A short distance after the park and yard, the tracks enter the Dover station. Dover was constructed from 1899 to 1901, opening on November 1, 1901 and was a two side platform station. Current Dover Station still has its building from the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western, but the station's two side platforms have been replaced by a high-level island platform. Lake Hopatcong Station, 2010 panorama

After departing the Dover station, the Morristown Line catenary wires end about a half-mile west, near the US Route 46 overpass. Afterwards, the tracks parallel Dickerson Street before turning to the northwest through Dover until Morris Duffy School before turning westward into

Wharton Wharton may refer to: Academic institutions * Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania * Wharton County Junior College * Paul R. Wharton High School * Wharton Center for Performing Arts, at Michigan State University Places * Wharton, ...

. The tracks then cross the site of the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad station in Wharton, built in 1900. The station was a Type W-101A Delaware, Lackawanna and Western-style, back when the town was named Port Oram, but the station was out of service by 1962. After Wharton station, the tracks continue westward, crossing over Berkshire Valley Road (Morris County Route 699) and parallel Interstate 80 through Morris County, entering the

Mount Arlington station Mount Arlington (also known as the Howard Boulevard Park and Ride) is a commuter railroad station for New Jersey Transit. Located in the borough of Mount Arlington, Morris County, New Jersey, United States, the station is located next to in ...

at Interchange 30. Mount Arlington station is the newest station along the Montclair-Boonton Line, opening on January 21, 2008, nine days after opening of Wayne-Route 23. Mount Arlington has two high-level platforms serving two tracks. The station is also a park & ride, serving bus service from

and 285 parking spaces.

Lake Hopatcong to Hackettstown

After paralleling Interstate 80 out of Mount Arlington station, the line heads southwestward until turning northeastward through the community of Landing. From there, the line goes northward along Morris County Route 631 heading into downtown Landing, where the tracks turn northeastward. The tracks soon enter the

. Lake Hopatcong has two low platforms with a shelter on the westbound side. The original Delaware, Lackawanna and Western station was much larger, built in 1911 to replace the original Hopatcong stop. The original station had two large towers and two long concrete platforms to access from the original 1911 station on Landing Road. A short distance later, the tracks cross under the

Landing Masonry Bridge The Landing Masonry Bridge, also designated Bridge 44.53, is a stone structure built in 1907 by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in Landing, New Jersey, United States. Located 44.53 miles up the rail line from Hoboken Terminal, the b ...

(which contains Landing Road/CR 631) and continue westward into Port Morris Junction. At Port Morris Junction, the Montclair-Boonton Line turns to the southwest, while the right-of-way continues westward along as the Lackawanna Cut-Off. The line also passes

Port Morris Yard A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

, where the shell of the former junction tower, built in 1909, stands. Continuing to the southwest, the tracks parallel

Lake Musconetcong Lake Musconetcong is a reservoir located on the border of Morris County and Sussex County, New Jersey, and is part of Hopatcong State Park, which is administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The Musconetcong River f ...

and enter the community of Netcong. After crossing under

New Jersey Route 183 Route 183 is a long state highway in the northern regions of New Jersey. The southern end of the route is at an interchange with Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 206 (US 206) near Netcong, while the northern end is at an interchange with US 206 ...

, the tracks enter downtown Netcong and into the Netcong station. Netcong has a brick house on its one low platform. The station building, built in 1903, used bricks from a location in nearby Port Murray. Netcong Station was also site of the junction to the former

Sussex Branch The Sussex Railroad (later known as the Sussex Branch of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad) was a short-line railroad in northwestern New Jersey. It replaced its predecessor, the Sussex Mine Railroad, in 1853 and operated under the ...

built by the

Delaware, Lackawanna and Western The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (also known as the DL&W or Lackawanna Railroad) was a U.S. Class 1 railroad that connected Buffalo, New York, and Hoboken, New Jersey (and by ferry with New York City), a distance of . Incorporated in ...

, discontinued from Branchville on July 13, 1966. Mount Olive station

Until late 1994, this was the endpoint of the line, until tracks were rehabilitated to Hackettstown along Norfolk Southern's Washington Secondary. Continuing westward, the tracks continue, paralleling Interstate 80,

U.S. Route 206 U.S. Route 206 (US 206) is a north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile (800 m) of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford–Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the D ...

and Waterloo Valley Road. The tracks soon enter the

International Trade Center The International Trade Center is a multi-acre office park located in Mount Olive, New Jersey. Formerly the site of BASF until 2004, it is currently home to facilities of L3 Technologies, Bosal USA, Coherent Advanced Crystal Group, Vistar, and R ...

in Mount Olive. After crossing Waterloo Valley Road the tracks enter Mount Olive station. Mount Olive has one low-level platform and shelter that is a terminus and beginning for a few weekday trains. Mount Olive is near the site of the former Waterloo station, built in 1854 when the connection to the

Sussex Railroad The Sussex Railroad (later known as the Sussex Branch of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad) was a short-line railroad in northwestern New Jersey. It replaced its predecessor, the Sussex Mine Railroad, in 1853 and operated under the ...

was created. The station was canned in 1939, and the shelter that replaced burned in a grass fire in 1946. After Mount Olive, the line follows Waterloo Valley Road through

Allamuchy State Park Allamuchy may refer to the following in the U.S. state of New Jersey: *Allamuchy Mountain State Park, in Byram Township *Allamuchy Township, New Jersey, in Warren County **Allamuchy (CDP), New Jersey, a census-designated place in the township **All ...

and passing

Saxton Lake Saxton can refer to: Places United States * Saxton, Kentucky, USA * Saxton, Missouri, USA * Saxton, Pennsylvania, USA ** Saxton Nuclear Generating Station * Camp Saxton Site, Port Royal, South Carolina, USA Other places * Saxton, North Yorkshire, ...

before turning to the west through

Stephens State Park Stephens State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is in area, located in western Morris County, north of Hackettstown along the upper Musconetcong River. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division ...

. The line then enters Hackettstown, passing the medical center and the rail spur to the Mars and M&Ms plant. The tracks then cross County Route 517 and U.S. Route 46. After paralleling Valentine Street, the tracks enter Hackettstown station, with one low platform and a mini-high ADA ramp. Hackettstown Station had a station building, built in 1868 as a Type W-2 Delaware, Lackawanna and Western-style frame building; it was demolished in the late 1960s. Trackage south of Hackettstown is owned by Norfolk Southern and operated by the

Dover and Delaware River Railroad The Dover and Delaware River Railroad is a short-line railroad operating along of track in the northern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey between Phillipsburg and Newark. It was created in 2019 to take over local freight operations from N ...

as part of the Washington Secondary to Phillipsburg. Newark Broad Street

Service

The Montclair-Boonton Line is serviced on weekdays between 5:00 a.m. and 11:15 p.m. Between Hackettstown and Denville there is also service which, after Denville, continues to Hoboken via the

. Frequency of service reflects the times at which commuters tend to travel; inbound trains are more frequent in the morning, and outbound trains are more frequent in the afternoon and evening. From Denville to Montclair, only diesel-hauled trains can provide service, as the territory is not electrified. Therefore, there is no direct service to/from New York between Mountain Lakes and Little Falls stations. The same is true for all stations between and including Hackettstown and Mount Arlington, as New York Penn Station normally does not allow diesel trains to enter. Electrified service west of Montclair State University, therefore, only serves Denville and Dover stations via the Morristown Line, along with the stretches in between. On weekends, 9.5 round trips between Hoboken and Bay Street operate every two hours.

Electrification

The original 1930 Lackawanna 3 kV DC

electrification Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic histo ...

was converted in 1984 to 25 kV 60 Hz, as part of the re-electrification of the Morris & Essex Lines which the then-Montclair Branch was grouped with at the time. The 2002 extension of electrification to Great Notch together with the Montclair Connection is similar in construction, except that hot-dip galvanized steel poles are used; many of these poles are painted dark green for esthetic reasons, in contrast with the old Lackawanna poles which are painted dark red. Catenary construction is uniform throughout; compound (3-wire) with a zigzag horizontal profile, but without self-tensioning, just like on most sections of the M&E lines. The line features a single autotransformer substation at Montclair, close to Bay Street station, dating from the 1984 re-electrification. Its power is normally supplied from NJT's Meadows Substation on the M&E (Morristown) mainline.

Stations

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers Montclair-Boonton page
{{New Jersey Transit Rail NJ Transit Rail Operations Montclair, New Jersey Transportation in Essex County, New Jersey Transportation in Passaic County, New Jersey Transportation in Morris County, New Jersey Transportation in Warren County, New Jersey Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad lines