Purpose and History
Unlike other New Jersey Transit rail stations, Secaucus Junction was built primarily as a transfer point; it allows passengers to transfer between trains on nine of the agency's commuter rail systems. The Northeast Corridor (NEC) on the upper level also includes service from three other routes. The Main/Bergen Lines on the lower level also include service from three other routes too (i.e. Meadowlands Line, Pascack Valley Line, and Port Jervis Lines). Before Secaucus Junction was built, commuters on non-electrified lines to Hoboken Terminal had to use PATH trains or ferries to reach Manhattan and other points in New York City. Commuters whose trains terminated at New York Penn Station could connect to subway services but had to go to a PATH station in order to reach Hoboken (apart from Morristown Line riders).
The two-track Northeast Corridor mainline embankment was expanded to three tracks for a mile on each side of the station and to four tracks through the station itself, allowing Amtrak and nonstop NJT trains to pass stopped trains. The two-track Bergen County Line was re-aligned southwestward next to the two-track Main Line to pass through the station on the four-track lower level. On weekdays, the station's lower level sees 79 westbound trains from Hoboken, while the upper level sees 164 westbound NJ Transit trains and 51 Amtrak trains (plus the triweekly Cardinal), according to public timetables as of April 3, 2011. Some of the NJ Transit trains and all of the Amtrak trains pass through the station without stopping. The construction required the bodies from the Hudson County Burial Grounds to be disinterred and moved to another cemetery.
The station was built with little public parking, as NJT believed few passenger trips would originate at the transfer point. New Jersey Transit officials have since judged this a mistake and have considered building a parking garage on station property. In 2005 Exit 15X on the adjacent New Jersey Turnpike opened to provide easier access to the station from the surrounding area. Two years later 15X was the least-used interchange on the turnpike, due in part to the lack of parking at the station. On June 1, 2009, Edison Parkfast, a private company, opened the first parking lot near the station, with space for 1,094 cars. Bicycle parking is also available.
Secaucus Junction's large volume of service has made it attractive for alternative rail routings. Beginning on July 26, 2009, New Jersey Transit began offering frequent shuttle service to the Meadowlands Station at the Meadowlands Sports Complex with the station serving as a major transfer point for passengers coming from New York City and other areas in New Jersey. Also since 2009, Secaucus Junction serves trains coming from Metro-North's New Haven Line for connecting trains to football games at the Meadowlands. The service will only run for Giants and Jets games with 1 pm kickoffs on Sundays.
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