Secaucus Junction

Infobox Station
name=Secaucus Junction
style=NJT Rail

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image_size=
image_caption= A train arriving at the upper level of Secaucus Junction station
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other=NJT Bus: 2, 129, and 772
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platform=3 island platforms and 2 side platforms
levels=2
tracks=8
parking=
bicycle=
baggage_check=
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opened=15 December 2003
closed=
rebuilt=
electrified=15 December 2003
ADA=yes
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owned=New Jersey Transit
zone=1
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mpassengers=The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station (known as Secaucus Transfer during planning stages) is a major rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey. The station was opened on December 15, 2003 to rectify a long-standing problem on New Jersey Transit's rail system—many of its commuter train routes terminated at Hoboken Terminal, forcing travelers to use the PATH system or ferries to access New York City. The construction of the $450 million, 312,000 ft² (29,000 m²) station atop the spot where the Hoboken-bound tracks pass under the New York Penn Station-bound tracks allows travelers to switch trains more conveniently and save an estimated 15 minutes traveling to midtown.

Overview

Of New Jersey Transit's 11 commuter rail lines, three do not make stops at Secaucus Junction (Although only one, the Newark Penn Station-terminating Raritan Valley Line, operates in the vicinity of Secaucus; the Atlantic City Line operates in southern New Jersey between Atlantic City and Philadelphia-30th Street Station and the Princeton Branch is a rail spur on the Northeast Corridor Line that runs from Princeton Junction to Princeton station). Morris and Essex Lines trains arriving and departing from Hoboken Terminal do not operate via Secaucus Junction; only some of the Midtown Direct service on those lines makes a stop at the station.

The station was named after Senator Frank Lautenberg, who had worked to allocate federal funds for the project.

Despite its name, Secaucus Junction is not a true junction, in which trains can be switched between lines; there is currently no rail connection between the upper and lower levels. It would be more accurately called Secaucus Transfer or the Secaucus Connection, since it allows passengers to change trains rather than allowing trains to change direction. This might change in the future, if the Access to the Region's Core program is built as planned. [http://www.accesstotheregionscore.com/images/projectstudy.jpg]

The station is configured as a dual-level station with four tracks on each level. The upper level goes from East to West and has three platforms; two outer platforms with one track each and one central island platform with two tracks. The upper level's middle island platform serves tracks A and B which serve the peak direction trains from Penn Station. (For example, in the morning rush hours, all Penn Station bound trains stop on either track A or B located on the island platform; in the evening, all trains leaving Penn Stop there.) The two outer side platforms serve off-peak trains (including trains to/from Penn Station on weekends); those tracks are numbered 2 and 3.

The upper level has a main concourse. In the center is a 30-foot-high (10 m) steel, glass and titanium sculpture of a cattail (abundant in the surrounding Meadowlands) by San Francisco artist Louis "Cork" Marcheschi. The tops of the cattails are lit from within in the purple, red and orange colors of NJ Transit. There is a newsstand and waiting area around it.

The lower level has two island platforms with two tracks each. They are lettered E, F, G, and H. The inner tracks serve the Bergen County, Main, and Port Jervis Lines. The outer tracks serve the Pascack Valley Line. All southbound trains on this level will terminate at Hoboken Terminal.

To create the junction the bodies from the Hudson County Burial Grounds had to be disinterred and moved to another cemetery.

In 2005, New Jersey Turnpike Exit 15X was opened to provide easier access to the station from the surrounding area. 15X is the least used interchange on the New Jersey Turnpike [ [http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1109660/ramp_to_nowhere_15x_is_the_loneliest_exit_in_jersey/index.html Ramp to Nowhere; 15X is the Loneliest Exit in Jersey - Business - redOrbit ] ] , partly due to a lack of parking at the junction. There is no public parking at the junction as it was built to allow rail commuters to get to mid-town Manhattan more easily by switching from trains to Hoboken to trains serving Penn Station, not for boarding. New Jersey Transit considers this to have been a mistake [ [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/12/developer_wants_to_add_parking.html Developer wants to add parking at Secaucus Junction train station - Breaking News From New Jersey - NJ.com ] ] , and is looking to construct a parking deck at the location.

The station is located on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor line, but, as of 2008, no Amtrak trains stop there.

The Pascack Valley Line will offer frequent shuttle service to the Meadowlands Sports Complex starting in the middle of 2009 with the Secaucus Junction Station serving as a major transfer point for passengers coming from New York City and other areas in New Jersey.

References

External links

* [http://www.njtransit.com/ NJTransit official site]