The Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Railroad was a railroad company in 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 ...

. It was incorporated in 1855, and completed its line between Rahway and

Perth Amboy, New Jersey Perth Amboy is a city (New Jersey), city in northeastern Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area, New York Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city' ...

, in 1864. The company became part of the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...

system and was merged into the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company in 1958. Its line is part of the

New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. It ...

North Jersey Coast Line The North Jersey Coast Line is a Commuter rail in North America, commuter rail line running from Rahway, New Jersey, Rahway to Bay Head, New Jersey, traversing through the Jersey Shore region. Operated by New Jersey Transit, the line is electr ...

History

The Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Railroad was incorporated on March 9, 1855, and opened its line on October 11, 1864. The line diverged from the

New Jersey Rail Road and Transportation Company The New Jersey Rail Road and Transportation Company was an early railroad company in the state of New Jersey. It was incorporated in 1832 and opened its first line in 1834, making it one of the oldest railroads in North America. It was consolidat ...

's main line at

Rahway, New Jersey Rahway () is a city (New Jersey), city in southern Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A bedroom community of New York City, it is centrally located in the Rahway River, Rahway Valley region, in the New ...

(at the future location of Union Tower), and ran south through Woodbridge to

South Amboy, New Jersey South Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located on Raritan Bay. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,411, an increase of 780 (+9.0%) from the 2010 census count of 8,631, which in ...

(at Essay Tower), on the

Camden and Amboy Railroad The Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company, usually shortened to the Camden and Amboy Railroad (C&A), was a railway company in New Jersey. It was incorporated in 1830 and opened its first line in 1832, making it one of the oldest r ...

. The New Jersey Rail Road leased the company on completion; the

assumed the lease in 1871 when the New Jersey Rail Road, Camden and Amboy, and Delaware and Raritan Canal Company were consolidated to form the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company. The line was double-tracked in 1886–1887. In 1891, the Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Railroad was consolidated with the Perth Amboy and Long Branch Railroad; the new company kept the name Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Railroad. The Pennsylvania Railroad merged the Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Railroad into the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company in 1958. The line was electrified in 1935. On

Penn Central Transportation The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals, the Pennsylvania, New York Central and the ...

's bankruptcy in 1976, the Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Branch was conveyed to

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 ...

. The

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transport ...

acquired the line, along with most other properties hosting commuter rail, in 1978.

Today

Today this line is part of

, which operates into

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

's Pennsylvania Station. This line is controlled by the

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

dispatcher from Graw interlocking (inclusive), to the west. Amtrak CETC-9 controls from Graw (exclusive) east into Amtrak's Union Interlocking. Between

and

the main line crosses the Raritan Bay Drawbridge over the

Raritan River The Raritan River is a river of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous areas in the North Jersey, northern and Central Jersey, central sections of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay near ...

Notes

References

* * *

External links

Corporate Genealogy: Perth Amboy and Woodbridge
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perth Amboy Woodbridge Railroad Predecessors of the Pennsylvania Railroad Defunct New Jersey railroads Railway companies established in 1855 Transportation in Middlesex County, New Jersey Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Perth Amboy, New Jersey