The Chemical Coast is a section of
Union and
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
counties in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
located along the shores of the
Arthur Kill
The Arthur Kill (sometimes referred to as the Staten Island Sound) is a tidal strait in the New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary between Staten Island (also known as Richmond County), New York, and Union and Middlesex counties, New Jersey. It ...
, across from
Staten Island, New York
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
. The name is taken from the
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 busine ...
Chemical Coast Line, an important component in the
ExpressRail
ExpressRail is a network of on- or near-dock rail yards supporting intermodal freight transport at the major container terminals of the Port of New York and New Jersey. The development of dockside trackage and rail yards for transloading has bee ...
system serving
marine terminals in the
Port of New York and New Jersey
The Port of New York and New Jersey is the port district of the New York metropolitan area, New York-Newark metropolitan area, encompassing the region within approximately a radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
It includes the sy ...
.
History
19th century
The name was first used 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 busine ...
to designate a freight railway line that served several chemical plants in the area. The rail line was started by the
Perth Amboy and Elizabethport Railroad in 1871. However, the company ran out of capital during the
panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that triggered an economic depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1877 or 1879 in France and in Britain. In Britain, the Panic started two decades of stagnation known as the "L ...
and was purchased by the
Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
(CNJ).
The CNJ operated both freight and passenger service along the line into the twentieth century, referring to it as the Perth Amboy and Elizabethport Branch. Passenger trains to
Bay Head Junction,
Atlantic Highlands,
Freehold and
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
(including the
Blue Comet) utilized the line. There were passenger stations at
Newark Airport,
Elizabethport,
Carteret, and
Sewaren. At Elizabethport the CNJ also operated a car repair shop. Passenger service along the line ended in 1967 with the advent of the
Aldene Plan when the Bay Head trains (the line's only remaining commuter service) were moved to
Newark Penn Station. In 1976 Conrail took over ownership of the line and operation of the substantial freight business the line generated.
The CNJ constructed a two-track bridge over lower
Newark Bay
Newark Bay is a tidal bay at the confluence of the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers in northeastern New Jersey. It is home to the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, the largest container shipping facility in Port of New York and New Jerse ...
in 1864, and upgraded it to a dual pair of four-track lift bridges known collectively as the
CRRNJ Newark Bay Bridge in 1926. This bridge offered a route and service through
Bayonne
Bayonne () is a city in southwestern France near the France–Spain border, Spanish border. It is a communes of France, commune and one of two subprefectures in France, subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments of France, departm ...
and access to the
Communipaw Terminal
The Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, also known as Communipaw Terminal and Jersey City Terminal, was the Central Railroad of New Jersey's waterfront passenger terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey. The terminal was built in 1889, replaci ...
with ferry service to New York City. After the Conrail takeover the bridge between Bayonne and Elizabethport was demolished in the 1980s, but some of the stone piers were left standing along the shores of Newark Bay.
In 1872, the
Singer Manufacturing Company of New York opened a factory in Elizabethport along Trumbull Street next to the intersection of
the CNJ mainline with the Perth Amboy and Elizabethport Branch. In 1873 Singer became a New Jersey corporation.
The factory survived a major fire May 6–7, 1890.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
much of the production capacity of the factory was shifted to
war related work, with
M1911 pistol
The Colt M1911 (also known as 1911, Colt 1911, Colt .45, or Colt Government in the case of Colt-produced models) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered primarily for the .45 ACP cartridge.
History
Early histo ...
s being one of several items produced at Elizabethport.
The factory was shut down in the late 1960s.
The brick factory built by Singer served as an
industrial park
An industrial park, also known as industrial estate or trading estate, is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more heavyweight version of a business park or office par ...
in 2009.
20th century
In 1907,
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was one of the List of richest Americans in history, wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest people in modern hist ...
, the founder of the
Standard Oil
Standard Oil Company was a Trust (business), corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil of Ohio, Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founde ...
company, acquired several hundred acres of the former Morse family estate between
Linden and
Elizabeth for what would become the
Bayway Refinery. Construction of the facility took place the following year and the first crude oil stills were fired up on January 2, 1909.
The facility underwent
a series of ownership changes and capacity expansions throughout the twentieth century. By 2002 it was owned by
ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational corporation engaged in hydrocarbon exploration and production. It is based in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas.
The company has operations in 15 countries and has production in t ...
.
The
Shell Oil Company
Shell USA, Inc. (formerly Shell Oil Company, Inc.) is the United States–based wholly owned subsidiary of Shell plc, a UK-based transnational corporation " oil major" which is among the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 18,000 ...
opened a terminal facility on a former Boynton farm property along Arbor Street in Sewaren in 1928. The terminal was transferred to the
Motiva Enterprises Shell subsidiary during the 20th century and expanded to a storage capacity with connections to the
Colonial pipeline and
barge
A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...
docks on the Arthur Kill in addition to the rail connections.
The facility now handles
gasoline
Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...
,
diesel fuel
Diesel fuel, also called diesel oil, heavy oil (historically) or simply diesel, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a re ...
,
jet fuel
Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (ATF, also abbreviated avtur) is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by Gas turbine, gas-turbine engines. It is colorless to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for ...
,
ethanol
Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol, with its formula also written as , or EtOH, where Et is the ps ...
, and fuel mixtures.
Emissions from the area's chemical plants have been blamed for some serious health problems that have been observed among residents of neighborhoods on
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
situated directly across the Arthur Kill, specifically an elevated rate of
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
found to exist among long-time denizens of
Travis. Strange—though not necessarily unpleasant—odors often waft across the Arthur Kill, and affect air quality not only on Staten Island's
West Shore, where Travis is located, but parts of the island's
South Shore and
Mid-Island regions as well.
21st century

A freight line connection from New Jersey to the
Staten Island Railway
The Staten Island Railway (SIR) is a rapid transit, railroad line in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Staten Island. It is owned by the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA), a subsidiary of the Metropol ...
, via the Chemical Coast line, has been restored as of late 2006, and is operated by the
Morristown and Erie Railway under contract with the State of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
. The railroad bridge over the
Arthur Kill
The Arthur Kill (sometimes referred to as the Staten Island Sound) is a tidal strait in the New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary between Staten Island (also known as Richmond County), New York, and Union and Middlesex counties, New Jersey. It ...
waterway has also been restored, and at least one freight train has made the crossing in 2006 from New Jersey to Staten Island. Plans are to reactivate the North Shore of the Staten Island Railway to allow freight shipments to and from the recently revamped
Howland Hook Marine Terminal.
The current Chemical Coast connection to Staten Island is freight service only, although separate plans are also being studied to reactivate passenger service on the North Shore Branch on Staten Island. Some of these latter proposals would run passenger trains to
Cranford Junction, while others call for a western terminus at either the former
Arlington or
Port Ivory stations on Staten Island.
Ethanol transshipment

In August 2006, the Linden Terminal
intermodal facility started operating on Point Tremley along the
Arthur Kill
The Arthur Kill (sometimes referred to as the Staten Island Sound) is a tidal strait in the New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary between Staten Island (also known as Richmond County), New York, and Union and Middlesex counties, New Jersey. It ...
in
Linden. The facility transfers
ethanol
Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol, with its formula also written as , or EtOH, where Et is the ps ...
for fuel use between barges, rail cars, trucks, and temporary storage tanks.
Biodiesel production
In May 2007, ''
The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition.
In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...
'' reported that
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
–based
biodiesel
Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats.
The roots of bi ...
producer
Fuel Bio "is trying to plant a green footprint on New Jersey's notorious Chemical Coast." The company is a producer of biofuels located inside of New York Terminals, whose production facility is located in
Elizabeth,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, across the Arthur Kill from
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
.
Incidents
*On October 25, 1972, an oil barge docked in Carteret, exploding and causing fires and oil slicks in Arthur Kill.
*On April 12, 1973, a fire broke out at the GATX oil tank farm and docking facilities in
Carteret, New Jersey.
*In 1995, at an Amoco fuel storage depot in Carteret, a spray of fuel vapor created a fire.
*On September 29, 2000, at 4:55 a.m., a
tank car
A tank car (International Union of Railways (UIC): tank wagon) or tanker is a type of railroad car (UIC: railway car) or rolling stock designed to transport liquid and gaseous commodity, commodities. History
Timeline
The following major event ...
carrying more than of
butane
Butane () is an alkane with the formula C4H10. Butane exists as two isomers, ''n''-butane with connectivity and iso-butane with the formula . Both isomers are highly flammable, colorless, easily liquefied gases that quickly vaporize at ro ...
derailed while switching off to a siding along the Chemical Coast line in
Woodbridge, New Jersey
Woodbridge Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in northern Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is a regional hub of transportation and commerce for Central Jersey, central New ...
. Residents of 163 houses were evacuated while the cleanup effort took place. The car was rerailed and put back into service undamaged later that day.
*On January 25, 2005, an accidental gas explosion killed three workers and injured a fourth at the Acetylene Service Company plant in
Perth Amboy.
*On March 12, 2009, at 10:16 a.m., a tank car carrying
isopropyl acetate through
Carteret developed a leak.
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 busine ...
contacted the Carteret Fire Department and the Middlesex County
Hazmat
Hazmat, HazMat or HAZMAT may refer to:
* Dangerous goods, hazardous materials and items
* Hazmat suit
* Hazmat diving
* Hazmat (comics) is a Marvel Comics character
* ''HazMat'' (film), a 2013 horror film
See also
* Hazmat Modine
Hazmat Mo ...
Response Team for assistance. The leak was fixed by 12:04 p.m. after a spill of had already taken place.
*In 2012, as a result of
Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...
, a storage facility owned by Motiva Enterprises, LLC ruptured and spilled 350,000 gallons of fuel into Arthur Kill.
*On July 5, 2016, at the Freeport McMoRan facility in Carteret, four chemical drums ruptured and emitted fumes; several firefighters were taken to the hospital for exposure.
See also
Related railroads:
*
Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
(1839–1976)
*
Conrail Shared Assets Operations
*
Easton and Amboy Railroad
*
Newark and New York Railroad
*
Perth Amboy and Elizabethport Railroad (1869–1873)
*
Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Railroad
*
Port Reading Railroad
*
Penns Grove Secondary
Nearby watercourses:
*
Arthur Kill
The Arthur Kill (sometimes referred to as the Staten Island Sound) is a tidal strait in the New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary between Staten Island (also known as Richmond County), New York, and Union and Middlesex counties, New Jersey. It ...
*
Elizabeth River
*
Morses Creek
*
Piles Creek
*
Rahway River
The Rahway River is a river in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex, Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex, and Union County, New Jersey, Union Counties, New Jersey, United States, The Rahway flows into the Arthur Kill, the tidal channel between ...
Other topics:
*
Bayway Refinery
*
Port Reading Refinery
*
Port of Paulsboro
*
Raritan Bayshore
*
T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion, in nearby South Amboy
References
{{reflist
Geography of Union County, New Jersey
History of Union County, New Jersey
Geography of Middlesex County, New Jersey
Conrail lines
Norfolk Southern Railway lines
CSX Transportation lines
Port of New York and New Jersey
Transportation in Union County, New Jersey
Transportation in Middlesex County, New Jersey