Princeton Junction (NJT Station) - History

History

Princeton Junction's origins can be traced back to the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company the predecessor of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Albert Einstein, who lived at 112 Mercer Street in Princeton, used to enjoy sitting at the station and watching the trains go by. More than once he employed trains to explain the practical effects of his General Theory of Relativity.

In 1965, a prototype for the high-speed Metroliner passed through the station at the record speed (at that time) of 164 miles per hour (264 km/h) on a short demonstration run. Very few sections of the Northeast Corridor were capable of handling that speed, and most had to be upgraded before Penn Central's Metroliner service was introduced in 1969.

Most of Amtrak's Princeton Junction service prior to 2005 was "Clocker" service commuter traffic to New York, Newark, or Philadelphia. Since October 28, 2005, the Clockers have been replaced by NJT trains that run only as far south as Trenton.

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