Main Line (NJ Transit)
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The New Jersey Transit Main Line (or Erie Main Line) runs from Suffern, New York to Hoboken, New Jersey, in the United States. It runs daily commuter service and was once the former north-south main line of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad. Some trains continue as far as Port Jervis in partnership with Metro-North Railroad (see Port Jervis Line). The Bergen County Line splits off the Main Line just west of the Secaucus Junction transfer station and rejoins it at Ridgewood. Service is diesel-powered.
[edit] Route guide
Departing the historic (1907) Hoboken terminal, the yards for the coaches are to your left. You then pass over several city avenues before entering the Bergen Tunnels under the New Jersey Palisades. Midway through the tunnel there are air shaft allowing light through and venting out the diesel fumes. Exiting the tunnel your train curves right onto the Main Line at West End interlocking in Jersey City. About a mile ahead is the former connection with the Bergen line (removed in 2003 during the Secaucus Junction transfer station construction). This is where two trains collided head-on in 1996, killing two engineers and a passenger. NJ Turnpike Interchange 15X now is located on this site.
Shortly coming up is the Secaucus Transfer Station. The train will stop here for passengers to change to and from Northeast Corridor Line trains on the upper level.
After the transfer station the Main Line runs through an industrial section of Secaucus. Shortly afterwards the Bergen line separates off on the new routing. The Main Line then crosses over the Hackensack River on the single-track Upper Hack Lift bridge. This bridge was built in 1958.
The one track continues for a brief distance until it once again becomes two, under the New Jersey Turnpike's western spur. The train continues through the Meadowlands and passes the first grade crossing at Valley Brook Avenue in Lyndhurst. The line curves slightly and passes under the 1903 Kingsland tunnel. Kingsland station is shortly after the tunnel and is in an open cut. Just beyond Kingsland station is Lyndhurst station, located on an enbankment.
After leaving Lyndhurst, your train crosses over the Passaic River on a swing bridge. The train passes under Route 3 and approaches Delawanna station.
Next stop is Passaic, which is located on an enbankment. After Passaic, the Main Line has a stretch through some indusrial areas before the Clifton station. Clifton station is also located on an enbankment.
The Main Line passes under U.S. Route 46 and the Garden State Parkway before it crosses under and over several streets in south Paterson. This portion of the line was single-tracked, then double-tracked in a rehabilitation project in 2002. The line passes under Interstate 80 and heads into downtown Paterson. Paterson station is elevated, with a center platform.
Continuing north, the Main Line is on an elevated grade through Paterson, passing over streets. After several grade crossings in an industrial area, the tracks crosses over the Passaic River on a truss bridge. Hawthorne is the next stop, at grade level. After a long stretch, the train reaches Glen Rock station, at grade level at a crossing.
After Glen Rock station, Ridgewood Junction is reached. This is where Main Line will merge with the Bergen County Line. The line widens to three tracks. Ridgewood station is next, with Spanish-style design on the station building and platforms.
Next is Ho-Ho-Kus, also at grade. Waldwick follows with an abandoned station building on the northbound side and a footbridge connecting the two platforms. Waldwick Yard is just north of the station, and just following Waldwick Yard is a grade crossing. North of the grade crossing (which has 3 tracks) the line becomes two tracks.
Allendale and Ramsey follow, both as grade-level stations. Ramsey-Route 17 station (opened August 22, 2004) is next. It is a park-and-ride facility located off of Route 17 South in Ramsey.
Mahwah follows and is the last station in New Jersey. Crossing over the New York state line, the train arrives at Suffern, the last stop. Some trains continue past to Port Jervis. The yards are located just to the north, under the New York State Thruway overpass.
[edit] Station listing
New Jersey
- Hoboken Terminal
- Secaucus Junction
- Kingsland
- Lyndhurst
- Delawanna
- Passaic
- Clifton
- Paterson
- Hawthorne
- Glen Rock (Main Line)
- Ridgewood
- Ho-Ho-Kus
- Waldwick
- Allendale
- Ramsey
- Ramsey Route 17
- Mahwah
New York
- Suffern
- Sloatsburg
- Tuxedo
- Harriman
- Salisbury Mills-Cornwall
- Campbell Hall
- Middletown-Town of Wallkill
- Otisville
- Port Jervis
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| Hoboken Division | Erie Lines: Bergen County Line – Main Line – Pascack Valley Line – Port Jervis Line Morris & Essex Lines: Gladstone Branch– Morristown Line Montclair-Boonton Line |
| Newark Division | North Jersey Coast Line – Northeast Corridor Line – Princeton Branch – Raritan Valley Line |
| South NJ and light rail | Atlantic City Line – Hudson-Bergen Light Rail – Newark Light Rail – River Line |
| Connections | Aldene Connection – Hunter Connection – Kearny Connection – Montclair Connection – Secaucus Junction – Waterfront Connection |
| Other | List of New Jersey Transit stations – Retired New Jersey Transit rail fleet |
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| Bus | Bus operations – Bus fleet |
| Commuter rail | Atlantic City Line |
| Main and Bergen County Lines, including the Port Jervis Line – Pascack Valley Line Montclair-Boonton Line – Morris and Essex Lines (Morristown Line and Gladstone Branch) |
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| North Jersey Coast Line – Northeast Corridor Line and Princeton Branch – Raritan Valley Line | |
| System map – Stations – Retired fleet | |
| Light rail | Hudson-Bergen Light Rail – Newark Light Rail – River Line |
