Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line

The line would travel north to provide diesel commuter rail service from Lakehurst/Manchester to Farmingdale passing through Toms River (Dover), Jackson, Lakewood, in Ocean and Howell in Monmouth. Stations would be located at Manchester-Lakehurst, Jackson, and Howell-Oak Glen Road. All alternatives include a rail yard at Lakehurst Maxfield Field. From a junction in Farmingdale, three possible alignments are under consideration in Monmouth and Middlesex counties. One alternative would use an existing rail corridor that runs from to Lakehurst along the Jamesburg Branch, the Freehold Secondary, and the Southern Secondary (Southern Branch) and would join the Northeast Corridor Line at Monmouth Junction. Another would use an existing rail corridor from Lakehurst along the Southern Secondary and join the North Jersey Coast Line at Red Bank station. Another would use the abandoned Freehold Branch, Freehold Secondary, and the Southern Secondary from Matawan and join the North Jersey Coast at Aberdeen-Matawan station. Service would continue north to Newark Penn Station (with connecting or continuing service to Hoboken Terminal or New York Penn Station). The following candidate stations were identified in 2005: ==Historical ROWs==

The project would make use of the rights-of-way (ROW) of former branches of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ), some originally developed by New Jersey Southern Railroad, including CNJ's Blue Comet route to Atlantic City. The ROWs of the Southern Secondary (CNJ), largely owned by New Jersey Transit (NJT), and the Freehold Secondary (PRR) are partially in use for freight service by Conrail's (CRCX) North Jersey Shared Assets Operations (CSAO). The property for the inland sections of the Henry Hudson Trail is currently railbanked by NJT, which leases the line for a rail trail to the Monmouth County Park System. The former CNJ ROW is leased through 2020 unlike most rail trails, was never officially abandoned. NJT reserves the right to reinstitute rail service. According to the Sierra Club, should NJT opt to restore service it would be the first instance in U.S. history where a rail trail reverted to railway usage. Monmouth Battlefield State Park is traversed by the ROW used by the PRR's Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad/Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad. Current Status As of 2025, the Monmouth Ocean Middlesex (MOM) Line remains a proposed project and is not under construction. Originally introduced in the 1990s, the project has undergone multiple feasibility studies but continues to face delays due to funding constraints, environmental reviews, and alignment disputes among the counties involved. A 2009 agreement between officials in Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex counties identified the Lakehurst-to-Red Bank route, using existing freight rights-of-way, as the preferred alignment. However, progress stalled in subsequent years. In a 2020 report by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), the MOM Line was included in its Long Range Transportation Plan as a “project of interest” but lacked committed funding or an implementation timeline. NJ Transit continues to maintain the MOM Line as a concept in its strategic planning portfolio, but no environmental impact statement or federal approval has been finalized. In early 2023, local advocates renewed calls for federal infrastructure funding to support the project amid increased ridership demand and traffic congestion along U.S. Route 9. Although there is continuing public support—particularly from Ocean County, where residents face long bus commutes—NJ Transit has prioritized other projects in its capital program, such as the Gateway Tunnel and electrification efforts on existing lines. As of mid-2025, the MOM Line remains in the pre-development phase, with no confirmed timeline for advancement or construction. ==See also==