Somerville station

Somerville
The new Somerville station with high-level platform in construction during May 2011.
Location 100 South Bridge Street,
Somerville, NJ 08876
Coordinates 40°33′58″N 74°36′51″W / 40.5661°N 74.6141°W / 40.5661; -74.6141Coordinates: 40°33′58″N 74°36′51″W / 40.5661°N 74.6141°W / 40.5661; -74.6141
Owned by NJ Transit
Line(s)
  Raritan Valley Line
Platforms 2 side platforms
Tracks 2
Connections NJT Bus: 65, 114
Construction
Parking Yes, free
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Fare zone 17[1]
History
Opened January 1, 1842[2]
Rebuilt November 28, 1856,[3] May 1867,[4] 1891[5]
Traffic
Passengers (2012) 677 (average weekday)[6]
Services
Preceding station   NJ Transit Rail   Following station
toward High Bridge
Raritan Valley Line
Raritan Valley Line
until 2006
  Former services  
Preceding station   Central Railroad of New Jersey   Following station
toward Scranton
Main Line
toward Communipaw
Roycefield
toward Flemington
South BranchTerminus

Somerville is a NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, located south of the downtown center of Somerville, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The historic station building on the north side of the tracks has been restored and now is used by a law firm. Parking lots are located to the south of the station and there is a tunnel there to access the platforms. Like many of the stations on the Raritan Valley Line, Somerville was not a wheelchair accessible station until December 7, 2010.

In 2004, the station's parking lot was expanded, toward the two railroad tracks, from the south side, to include parking for another 68 cars. These spaces are no longer available as a construction project is in progress.

Historical building, former train station, 2008

At some point, the stationhouse and the train tracks were on the same level. An historical photo of the Somerville station with the tracks in front of it can be seen in the Arcadia Publishing historical photo book Somerset County in Postcards, by Alan A. Siegel, Somerset County Historical Society ( ISBN 0-7385-0078-X). In 2009, a reconstruction project began at the station to install high-level platforms and make the station handicap accessible. This project includes new ramps, renovations to the existing tunnel, rehabilitation of the existing freight elevator shafts, a new tunnel headhouse, and demolition of the two existing waiting rooms. It was announced on December 1, 2010 that the high level platforms will open on Tuesday, December 7, 2010 to allow for demolition of the low level platforms and continued platform construction.[7] The historic station depot is being kept.[8]

Starting January 12, 2015, NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line started mid-town direct service between New York City and Somerville and its surrounding area.

Station layout

The station has two high-level side platforms.

P
Platform level
Side platform, doors will open on the right
Track 1 ← Raritan Valley Line toward Raritan or High Bridge (Raritan)
Track 2 Raritan Valley Line toward Newark – Penn or New York (Bridgewater) →
Side platform, doors will open on the right
G Street level Station building, ticket machine, parking

Bibliography

  • Bianculli, Anthony J. (2001). Trains and Technology: Track and Structures. University of Delaware Press. ISBN 9780874138023.

References

  1. ↑ "Raritan Valley Line Timetables" (PDF). Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. November 7, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Original Route of New Jersey Central Railroad Followed Old Post Road Between Plainfield, Elizabethport, Historian Says". The Plainfield Courier-News. December 31, 1938. p. 7. Retrieved March 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Bianculli 2001, p. 152.
  4. ↑ Bianculli 2001, p. 151.
  5. ↑ Morrison, Cheryl (April 3, 1972). "Commuters Make Way for Urban Renewal". The Plainfield Courier-News. p. 17. Retrieved March 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "QUARTERLY RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANALYSIS" (PDF). New Jersey Transit. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Somerville Station: New High-Level Platforms Open Tuesday, December 7". Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. December 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  8. ↑ "NJ Transit Begins Reconstruction of Somerville Station" (Press release). New Jersey Transit. 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2010-02-14.

Media related to Somerville (NJT station) at Wikimedia Commons

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