Metropark (NJT station)

Metropark Station
View from south/westbound platform, facing SW. Station was renovated after this picture was taken.
Station statistics
Address	100 Middlesex-Essex Turnpike Iselin, NJ 08830
Coordinates	40°34′05″N 74°19′47″W / 40.56808°N 74.329795°W / 40.56808; -74.329795Coordinates: 40°34′05″N 74°19′47″W / 40.56808°N 74.329795°W / 40.56808; -74.329795
Line(s)	Amtrak:   Acela Express   Keystone Service   Northeast Regional   Vermonter New Jersey Transit:   Northeast Corridor Line
Connections	NJT Bus: 48, 801–805 (Metropark loops)
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4
Parking	3,615 spaces
Other information
Opened	1972
Rebuilt	2007–2010 (refurbishment)
Accessible
Station code	MET(Amtrak Only)
Owned by	New Jersey Transit
Fare zone	10 (New Jersey Transit)
Traffic
Passengers (2012)	7,447 (average weekday)[1] (NJT)
Passengers (2013)	383,353[2]  2.6% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Trenton toward Washington, DC Acela Express Newark Penn toward Boston South Station New Brunswick toward Harrisburg Keystone Service Newark Liberty Int'l Airport toward New York City New Brunswick toward Norfolk, Newport News or Lynchburg Northeast Regional Newark Liberty Int'l Airport toward Boston South Station or Springfield Trenton toward Washington, DC Vermonter weekends only Newark Penn toward St. Albans NJ Transit Rail Metuchen toward Trenton Northeast Corridor Line Rahway toward New York Penn Station

Metropark Station is a train station in Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, served by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains on the Northeast Corridor.

Location

The station is near Iselin section of Woodbridge Township, north of the intersection of Thornall Street and Wood Avenue. It is reached via Exits 130, 131, 131A, or 131B of the Garden State Parkway.

History

Metropark was first proposed in late 1968, under a plan by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).^[3] The plan was part of the larger Metroliner Service being rolled out by the Penn Central Railroad and (later) Amtrak. As businesses and people fled the urban cores the Metropark station was conceived to serve this suburban market. The location was right off of the Garden State Parkway to allow for easy access by automobile and a large business park was built next to the station to entice riders.

Metropark station opened to Amtrak trains in November 1971.^[4] Commuter trains began stopping at Metropark in 1972 and the nearby Iselin station was closed (and, a few years later, Colonia). Suburban ring stations opened at New Carrollton, Maryland near Washington, DC and Route 128 near Boston, Massachusetts around that time.

Renovation

In January 2007 NJ Transit announced a nearly $30 million renovation plan for the station, to be completed by 2010.^[5] Reconstruction was completed in summer 2009, and cost $47 million. Climate-controlled shelters and LCD train information system were installed, platforms and canopies were lengthened and the station building was enlarged as part of the project. As part of the renovation new signage has been installed; all of the new signs refer to the station by its full name of "Metropark Station".

Available service

The Metropark station is served by New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor Line, as well as these Amtrak routes:

• Acela Express
• Keystone Service
• Northeast Regional
• Vermonter on weekends only

NJT bus route 48 also operates to the station, as well as routes 801-805, which are "loop" services connecting the station to nearby neighborhoods and towns and are operated by Academy Bus under contract with NJT.

Ridership

Amtrak

Amtrak trains skip most stations between Trenton and Newark Penn Station, but most Amtrak trains stop at Metropark despite having to switch to the outside (local) tracks to do so. Pairs of crossovers (interlockings MENLO and ISELIN) before and after the station were added about 1984 to make this easier.

New Jersey Transit

Since 2001 Metropark has been the busiest New Jersey Transit station apart from the city terminals.^[6] Along with Princeton Junction in 2006, Metropark was the first non-terminal station to have over 7,000 weekday boardings.^[6]

Metropark Loops

NJ Transit provides these rush hour "loop" buses servicing office parks and other areas around Metropark, operated by Academy Express LLC out of their Perth Amboy garage under contract with NJT.

Parking

Metropark has a multi-story^[7] parking facility that is open at all times. The parking fee is $5 for up to 12 hours, $7 for up to 16 hours, and $9 for up to 24 hours. Annual, semi-annual, and quarterly parking permits are available for discounted rates ($70.00 per month). Drivers may park in either of the two multi-level parking decks using their proximity card for entry and exit. Daily parking users take a ticket upon entry, which must be paid for before exiting the facility. Several self-service kiosks within the garages allow users to pay their daily parking fee before returning to their vehicle.

References

Sources

• New Jersey Transit's Capital Improvement Program: Metropark Platform Rehabilitation
• PRR Chronology, late 1970 and 1971
• PRR Chronology, 1972

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Metropark (NJT station).

• Amtrak – Stations – Metropark

• NJT rail station information page for Metropark
• DepartureVision real time train information for Metropark
• NJT Northeast Corridor Line schedule
• Parking at MetroPark
• Application for parking permits
• Metropark (USA RailGuide – TrainWeb)
• Station from Google Maps Street View