Morristown Line

The Morristown Line is an NJ Transit commuter rail line connecting Morris and Essex counties to New York City, via New York Penn Station or Hoboken Terminal. It is one of the two routes that make up the Morris & Essex Lines, alongside the Gladstone Branch. Out of 52 inbound and 53 outbound daily weekday trains, 34 inbound and 37 outbound Midtown Direct trains (about 67%) use the Kearny Connection (opened June 10, 1996) to Penn Station, and the rest go to Hoboken. Passengers can transfer at Newark Broad Street or Summit to reach another 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.

As of February 3, 2025, the Morristown Line operates 105 trains (52 inbound, 53 outbound) on weekdays. Of these, 33 inbound trains originate from Dover, 5 from Hackettstown, 2 from Mount Olive, 1 from Lake Hopatcong, 10 from Summit, and 1 from Maplewood. 15 outbound trains terminate at Summit, 1 at Lake Hopatcong, 1 at Mount Olive, 4 at Hackettstown, and 32 at Dover. Stations east of Chatham are also served by Gladstone Branch trains throughout the day.

There is 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; service to Hoboken and west of Dover resumed on November 19.

Description

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 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.

Electrification

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.

Stations

References

Bibliography

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External links

NJ Transit (including Morris & Essex Line) Timetables

{{New Jersey Transit Rail, state=expanded

Passenger rail transportation in New Jersey
NJ Transit Rail Operations
Transportation in Essex County, New Jersey
Transportation in Morris County, New Jersey
Transportation in Union County, New Jersey
Transportation in Hudson County, New Jersey
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad lines