History of NJ Transit in Timeline

NJ Transit is a state-owned public transportation system serving New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. It operates extensive bus, light rail, and commuter rail networks, linking New Jersey to major hubs like New York City and Philadelphia. In 2025, NJ Transit recorded a ridership of over 221 million. It plays a vital role in commuting and regional connectivity within the tri-state area.

1908: Lackawanna Cut-Off Construction Begin

In 1908, Construction of the Lackawanna Cut-Off was begun by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.

1911: Lackawanna Cut-Off Constructed Complete

In 1911, The Lackawanna Cut-Off was completed by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.

1941: CNJ Operated Blue Comet Trains

Prior to the 1941 cancellation, the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) operated Blue Comet trains (Jersey City-Atlantic City) and some local trains on the proposed Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) line route.

1967: End of passenger service in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton.

In 1967, passenger service previously provided jointly by the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Central Railroad of New Jersey to Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton ended.

1970: Erie Lackawanna last provided with the Lake Cities

In 1970, Erie Lackawanna last provided long-distance service with the Lake Cities.

1976: Conrail Formed

In 1976, Conrail was formed through the merging of a number of financially troubled railroads.

July 17, 1979: NJ Transit Founded

On July 17, 1979, NJ Transit (NJT) was founded as an offspring of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) through the Public Transportation Act of 1979 to address transportation problems and manage public transportation services, including acquiring private bus services like those of Public Service Electric and Gas Company.

March 1980: MOM Line Proposed

In March 1980, the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders originally proposed the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) line.

1983: NJT Assumes Conrail Commuter Rail Operation

In 1983, NJ Transit assumed operation of all commuter rail service in New Jersey from Conrail, which had been operating the lines under contract to NJDOT.

1983: West Trenton Line Service

Service ran on the West Trenton Line prior to 1983.

May 2001: New Jersey Acquired the right-of-way of the Lackawanna Cut-Off

In May 2001, New Jersey acquired the right-of-way of the Lackawanna Cut-Off.

October 21, 2001: Newark Liberty International Airport Station Opens

On October 21, 2001, NJ Transit opened a new station at Newark Liberty International Airport.

December 15, 2003: Secaucus Junction Transfer Station Opens

On December 15, 2003, NJ Transit opened the Secaucus Junction transfer station, connecting its two commuter networks in northern New Jersey for the first time, allowing passengers to transfer between trains to Hoboken Terminal and New York Penn Station.

2004: West Trenton Line Cost Estimate

As of 2004, NJT's estimate of the cost of West Trenton Line was $197 million.

October 31, 2005: NJT Takes Over Clocker Service

On October 31, 2005, NJ Transit took over Clocker (NY–Philadelphia) service from Amtrak, adding four new trains to the schedule that were later cut back to Trenton.

2006: Opposition to MOM Line

As of 2006, the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) line was opposed by Jamesburg and Monroe Township.

February 2008: Governor Corzine withdraws Monmouth Junction alignment

In February 2008, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine withdrew the Monmouth Junction alignment from the MOM Plan, opting to endorse the two remaining alternate alignments via Red Bank or Matawan-Freehold.

November 2008: Study commissioned to explore extending Raritan Valley Line

In November 2008, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), along with both Lehigh and Northampton counties, commissioned a study to explore extending the Raritan Valley Line to the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.

May 2009: Agreement to back route from Ocean County to Red Bank

In late May 2009, representatives of the three counties agreed to back one potential route from Ocean County to Red Bank, instead of to Monmouth Junction, ending years of stalemate.

June 2009: Project breaks ground

In June 2009, the project broke ground. Both the Federal Transit Administration and the Port Authority made public commitments of $3 billion to the project.

2009: Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Study

A 2009 study by NJT estimated that bringing the Lackawanna Cut-Off line back into operation to Scranton, Pennsylvania, would cost approximately $551 million.

2009: Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) Operation

From 2009, NJT operated the Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) from New York Penn Station to Atlantic City Rail Terminal.

August 2010: NJT receives Federal Funds to investigate MOM line

In August 2010, NJT received $534,375 in Federal Funds to investigate the possibilities of a MOM line.

October 7, 2010: Project suspended due to cost concerns

On October 7, 2010, the project was suspended due to concerns that the State of New Jersey would be solely responsible for projected $5 billion in overruns.

October 27, 2010: Governor Christie cancels the project

On October 27, 2010, Governor Chris Christie made a final decision to cancel the project.

2011: Real-Time Bus Location System Announced

In 2011, NJT announced that it would equip its entire bus fleet with real-time location, creating the basis for "next bus" scheduling information at bus shelters and web-enabled devices and considered an important feature of BRT.

2011: Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project Began

In 2011, the Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project from Port Morris to Andover, a distance of 7.3 miles (11.7 km), began.

2011: Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) Operation

Until 2011, NJT operated the Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) from New York Penn Station to Atlantic City Rail Terminal as a seasonal/weekend train under contract with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.

October 2012: Hurricane Sandy Impacts Rail Operations

In October 2012, during Hurricane Sandy, the rail operations center of NJ Transit was flooded, damaging locomotive engines and rail cars.

October 2015: FTA Requested Preliminary Engineering Study

In October 2015, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requested that a preliminary engineering study be performed in order to update the cost figures on the previous study.

2016: Restart of Construction of Roseville Tunnel

Based on projections from NJ Transit, the restart of construction, including extensive work on Roseville Tunnel, was to occur in mid- to late-2016, with the re-opening of service to Andover projected to occur in 2020.

2016: West Shore Route Project Included in TIP

The West Shore Route project has been included in the NJ Transit's portion of the federally-designated Metropolitan Planning Organization, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the fiscal years of 2016.

2018: Hudson River Rail Tunnel Project

As of 2018, the final design was completed for the new Hudson River rail tunnel serving Penn Station, New York, and the rehabilitation of the existing North River Tunnels, which were damaged during Hurricane Sandy. The project is being advanced through the U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER grant.

2018: Several projects in progress

As of 2018, there are several projects in progress including a project to replace the auxiliary power cables, traction power, and signal and communication devices along the HBLR that were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

2018: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Extension Preliminary Engineering

In 2018, Preliminary engineering began for project to extend Hudson-Bergen Light Rail access in Jersey City, extending service from West Side Avenue Station by 0.7 miles (1.1 km) of new rail to a new terminus on the west side of Route 440.

2019: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Extension Project

By 2019, The final EIS for the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail extension from North Bergen to Englewood was expected to be completed.

2019: Glassboro-Camden Line Expected Completion

The Glassboro–Camden Line was originally expected to be completed by 2019, but faced construction delays due to local pushback, lack of funding, and later the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019: West Shore Route Project Included in TIP

2020: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Extension Ongoing

As of 2020, the project to extend Hudson-Bergen Light Rail access in Jersey City is still ongoing after upgrades were made to West Side Avenue Station.

2020: Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Service Re-opening to Andover Projected

Based on projections from NJ Transit, the re-opening of service of Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project to Andover was projected to occur in 2020.

2020: Hoboken Terminal Repairs Completion

Repairs to Hoboken Terminal are said to be complete by 2020.

February 2021: Glassboro-Camden Line Environmental Assessment Published

In February 2021, an environmental assessment was published for Glassboro-Camden Line, and it is now in the design and engineering phase.

December 2022: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Extension Project Update

As of December 2022, the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail extension from North Bergen to Englewood is still in its design phase, and NJT was given a $600K federal grant to study transit-oriented development along the proposed extension.

2023: Andover Service Projected Completion Date

As of 2023, the projected completion date for Andover service is 2027, with work at Roseville Tunnel and Andover, NJ ongoing.

May 16, 2025: Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Strike

On May 16, 2025, a strike by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen caused the suspension of the entire NJ Transit rail network due to pay disputes.

2025: System Ridership

In 2025, NJ Transit had a ridership of 221,114,200 across its bus, light rail, and commuter rail services.

2027: Andover Service Projected Completion Date