Hawthorne station (New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad)

Hawthorne is a rail station located in Hawthorne, New Jersey in Passaic County. Volunteer Railroaders Association (aka VRA), a non-profit railroad preservation group leases the station from the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway. The station is single floor wooden structure at grade with the local area. Formerly brown and cream colored, the station has currently been repainted blue-green and red as part of an ongoing restoration. The station once served as the commuter ticket office until June 30, 1966 and was also used as a freight depot building.

Hawthorne
Hawthorne station viewed from Grand Avenue.
Location	80 Royal Avenue, Hawthorne, New Jersey
Coordinates	40.94916°N 74.15391°W / 40.94916; -74.15391
Owned by	New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
Line(s)	New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad main line
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1 (New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad)
Construction
Parking	on street
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	1123 (Erie Railroad)[1]
History
Opened	1872[2]
Closed	June 30, 1966
Rebuilt	1894
Electrified	Not electrified
Services
Preceding station New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad Following station North Hawthorne toward Stroudsburg Main Line Riverside toward Susquehanna Transfer or Jersey City

The New Jersey Western Railroad built what is now about ten miles of the current New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway right-of way from Hawthorne to Bloomingdale from 1868 to 1870.. It was consolidated into the New Jersey Midland Railway.[3][4] The original station at this location was built in 1872. In 1894 a fire destroyed the station and the station was rebuilt in a larger form. Since 1872, the present station has been located on the corner of Royal Avenue and County Route 654 (Diamond Bridge Avenue).

In 2010 the VRA undertook a massive fund raising needed to move the station. The move of just 75 feet within the same plot away from the corner was to alleviate the nearly monthly truck strikes to the southeast roof corner. As a part of this move a concrete brick and poured floor foundation was constructed. The move contractor hired made the move of the station onto the new foundation on September 20, 2010. After the move the areas of deteriorated siding were replaced and adding a new coat of paint was begun. Also added was a deck with safety railing, a fence between the station & the railroad and a garden area in the location of the old station footing.

It is proposed that New Jersey Transit will build a new station for the northern terminus of the Passaic-Bergen Rail Line adjacent to the NJ Transit Main Line's Hawthorne station several blocks away from this station.[5] The neighborhood of the original Erie mainline station would benefit from state funding to improve signage, lighting and parking.[6]