Ongoing projects Gateway Program This project will expand and restore the
Northeast Corridor through a series of phases. It will create new capacity that will allow the doubling of passenger trains running under the
Hudson River. The program will increase track, tunnel, bridge, and station capacity, eventually creating four mainline tracks between Newark, NJ, and
Penn Station, New York, including a new, two-track Hudson River tunnel. It is being undertaken in partnership with Amtrak, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the
State of New Jersey, and the
State of New York.
Portal Bridge Replacement Project This project will replace the
existing century-old swing-span bridge with a new,
fixed-span bridge over the
Hackensack River. The current bridge causes train traffic and delays due to maritime traffic, as well as malfunctions occurring from opening and closing; the new bridge will eliminate the movable span, thus improving reliability and increasing train speeds. The project is partnered with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NJ Transit, Amtrak, and
United States Department of Transportation, with funding provided by NJ Transit,
Amtrak, and the
Federal Railroad Administration.
Hudson Tunnel Project This project will entail the design and construction of a new Hudson River rail tunnel serving Penn Station, New York, and the rehabilitation and modernization of the existing
North River Tunnels, which incurred serious and ongoing damage during Hurricane Sandy. The tunnel was flooded with millions of gallons of saltwater during Hurricane Sandy, causing
corrosion that continues to damage the century-old tunnel. It plans to build a new tunnel, rather than close and renovate the existing tunnel, as doing so would leave only one of the North River Tunnels in service, which would cause a massive reduction in rail service. As of 2018, the final design was completed and it is being advanced through the
U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER grant. The project is partnered with the
FRA,
PANYNJ, NJ Transit and Amtrak, all of which have provided a total funding of $86.5 million.
Hudson–Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) Northern Branch Extension This project will extend the
Hudson–Bergen Light Rail from
North Bergen in
Hudson County to
Englewood in
Bergen County. The extension will better meet the needs of travelers in the area, advance cost-effective transit solutions, improve regional mobility and access, reduce roadway congestion, and attract growth and development. There have been several public hearings so far, and the project has received the
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement from the
Environmental Protection Agency. The final EIS was expected to be completed by the end of 2019. As of December 2022, the project is still in its design phase, and NJT was given a $600K federal grant to study transit-oriented development along the proposed extension.
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) Route 440 Extension This project will extend Hudson-Bergen Light Rail access in
Jersey City. It will extend service from
West Side Avenue Station by of new rail to a new terminus on the west side of
Route 440. An environmental assessment has been prepared by NJ Transit, and the
Federal Transit Administration has issued a Finding of No Significance Impact (
FONSI). Preliminary engineering began in 2018. The new station will be a contributing factor to the $180 million
urban renewal project of
Bayfront. There is also a project to improve
Route 440 itself near the rail extension. As of 2020, the project is still ongoing after upgrades were made to West Side Avenue Station
Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project In May 2001, New Jersey acquired the right-of-way of the
Lackawanna Cut-Off. Constructed by the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad between 1908 and 1911, this provided a direct route with minimal curves and grades between
Slateford Junction, two miles (3.25 km) below the
Delaware Water Gap, and the crest of the
watershed at
Lake Hopatcong (
Port Morris Junction), the connection with NJT's
Montclair-Boonton Line. This would restore long-distance service that the
Erie Lackawanna last provided with the
Lake Cities in 1970. At the time of the Cut-Off's construction, the
DL&W had extensive experience with concrete construction, but not on the scale that would be employed on the Cut-Off. All structures, including stations, bridges, interlocking towers and two large viaducts and thousands of fence posts, were made of concrete. Despite the lack of maintenance on these structures over the past four decades (and in some cases much longer), most are still in operational or near-operational condition. A 2009 study by NJT estimated that bringing the line back into operation to
Scranton, Pennsylvania, would cost approximately $551 million, although service may be extended in several interim phases before reaching Scranton. In 2011, the
Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project from
Port Morris to
Andover, a distance of , began. The project was delayed by a lack of environmental permits to clear the roadbed between Lake Lackawanna and Andover. 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. The proposed rehabilitation west of Andover, which has not yet been funded, would provide commuter rail service between Hoboken Terminal and New York's Penn Station, and would serve the growing
exurban communities in
Monroe County, Pennsylvania, the
Pocono Mountains, northern
Warren County, and southern
Sussex County in New Jersey. 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. Funding for this study is currently being sought. As of 2023, the projected completion date for Andover service is 2027, with work at
Roseville Tunnel and Andover, NJ ongoing. There is a possibility of Amtrak extending service from New York City to Scranton, PA via the Cut-Off, but no official commitment for that service has been made to date.
Glassboro–Camden Line The Glassboro–Camden Line is an
diesel multiple unit (DMU) light rail system planned for
southwestern part of New Jersey in the United States. At its northern end in Camden, it will connect with the River Line, with which its infrastructure and vehicles will be compatible. At the northern terminus, the
Walter Rand Transportation Center, paid transfers will be possible to the
PATCO Speedline. The project's goal is to improve mobility and connect towns in
Gloucester and
Camden counties. The project 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. An environmental assessment was published in February 2021, and it is now in the design and engineering phase. The project is projected to be operational by 2028.
Bus rapid transit Bus rapid transit in New Jersey includes
limited stop bus lines, exclusive bus lanes (XBL) and
bus bypass shoulders (BBS).
Next Generation Bus is the term used by NJT to refer to the development of numerous
bus rapid transit (BRT) systems across the state which are being studied by the agency,
NJDOT, the
metropolitan planning organizations of New Jersey (MPO), and contract bus carriers. 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.
Recovery and Resilience Projects As of 2018, there are several projects in progress. A project to replace the auxiliary power cables, traction power, and signal and communication devices along the
HBLR that were affected by Hurricane Sandy was in the works. Repairs to Hoboken Terminal are said to be complete by 2020. Numerous power line, power system, and flood protection systems were in progress or completed at numerous terminals and stations. The 110-year old
Raritan Bay Drawbridge is said to be replaced by a new, higher
lift bridge. To date, no funding has been secured.
West Shore Commuter Rail Line The West Shore Route is a proposal to reactivate passenger service on the New Jersey-New York section of the
West Shore Railroad from Hoboken, NJ to West Nyack, NY. The 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 2016–2019. The route holds perhaps the greatest promise in all of New Jersey since it travels through the heart of NJ Transit Bus Operations' Midtown "commuter shed", with four bus routes (165, 167, 168 & 177) running well beyond capacity. Issues regarding the restart of commuter rail service include: • CSX owns the trackage and uses them heavily to link the NYC area to their national network at Selkirk Yard in upstate New York. • CSX offers to allow NJ Transit use of the ROW if the agency constructed sound barriers along the entire length of track for commuter operations out of its own pocket. • A city terminal is not connected to this line, since the Weehawken & Pavonia Terminals were demolished decades ago. A loop connecting this line with the North River Tunnels into New York Penn Station where the West Shore Tracks pass under the Northeast Corridor just south of NJ Route 3 and Tonnelle Ave would directly connect this line into New York Penn Station. This configuration would provide a 25-minute travel time to New York Penn Station, but would bypass Secaucus Junction, leaving the West Shore with no transfer connection to the rest of New Jersey other than a possible transfer station on Tonnelle Ave with the Hudson Bergen Light Rail. With these considerable technical issues, as well as no available space in New York Penn Station for West Shore Line trains, this proposal was put on hold until capacity into New York Penn Station will increase in the future. The leadership of the municipalities along the route have been organizing for decades to get service running again and have been rezoning the areas around the former train stations ever since being told by NJ Transit that the number of projected riders is too low to justify investment.
Passaic–Bergen–Hudson Transit Project The
Passaic–Bergen–Hudson Transit Project would reintroduce passenger service on the
New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway right-of-way in
Passaic,
Bergen and
Hudson counties between
Hawthorne and
Hackensack, as well as extending service to connect to the
Hudson–Bergen Light Rail in
North Bergen. The project is currently in its initial study phase.
Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) The Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) line is a proposed south and central New Jersey commuter rail route to
New Brunswick, Newark and New York's Penn Station. This would restore service previously provided by the
Central Railroad of New Jersey with similar station sequences. Prior to the 1941 cancellation, the CNJ operated
Blue Comet trains (Jersey City-Atlantic City) and some local trains on this route. The line was originally proposed by the
Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders in March 1980. It would run on a 40.1-mile rail corridor and would provide diesel commuter rail service from
Monmouth Junction (
South Brunswick), where the Jamesburg Branch partially joins the
Northeast Corridor (NEC), south to
Lakehurst in the interior of northern
Ocean County. As of 2006, the line was opposed by Jamesburg and Monroe Township. From
Monmouth Junction the line would continue southeast to
Jamesburg,
Monroe,
Englishtown,
Manalapan,
Freehold Borough,
Freehold Township,
Howell and
Farmingdale. A new rail connection would be required in Farmingdale. It would proceed southward from Farmingdale to Lakehurst, passing through Howell,
Lakewood,
Jackson,
Toms River, Townships, and Lakehurst/
Manchester. Trains would also operate on the NEC between Monmouth Junction and Newark. Passengers for New York would transfer at Newark. Eight new stations and a train storage yard would be constructed. In mid-February 2008, New Jersey Governor
Jon Corzine withdrew the Monmouth Junction alignment from the MOM Plan. Corzine opted to endorse the two remaining alternate alignments (via Red Bank or Matawan-Freehold, the latter which is currently part of the
Henry Hudson Rail Trail). NJT is still planning to study all the routes as to not delay action further on the EIS, and says all three routes are still up for evaluation, although it will take the Governor's comments into consideration. 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. Under that compromise, the line's southern terminus would be in Lakehurst, and it would run through Lakewood along existing freight tracks to join the North Jersey Coast Line in Red Bank. It also includes the possibility of a spur between Freehold and Farmingdale. In August 2010, NJT received $534,375 in Federal Funds to investigate the possibilities of a MOM line. Since that time there has been no further advancement of the project. The inertia is partially attributed to the cancellation of the
Access to the Region's Core project.
Lehigh Valley 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, which would potentially include stops in
Allentown,
Bethlehem and
Easton. This would resume passenger service previously provided jointly by the
Lehigh Valley Railroad and the
Central Railroad of New Jersey. These cities were last served in 1967.
Canceled projects Access to the Region's Core NJT intended to construct a new two-track Hudson River tunnel adjacent to the two single-track Northeast Corridor tunnels built in the early 20th century by the
Pennsylvania Railroad. NJT referred to the project as '''Access to the Region's Core''', which would have used dual-power locomotives and a new
rail junction at Secaucus, allowing for a one-train ride between the
Port Jervis,
Main,
Bergen County, Pascack Valley, and
Raritan Valley lines and New York Penn Station. The Lehigh and the West Trenton extension plans would require added capacity and the ARC project would provide that capacity. The project broke ground in June 2009. Both the Federal Transit Administration and the Port Authority made public commitments of $3 billion to the project. However, the project was suspended on October 7, 2010, due to concerns that the State of New Jersey would be solely responsible for projected $5 billion in overruns. On October 27, 2010, Governor
Chris Christie made a final decision to cancel the project. Amtrak later unveiled the
Gateway Project, which addresses some of the issues ARC was meant to resolve.
Newark–Elizabeth Rail Link Planned to connect
Downtown Newark and
Elizabeth via
Newark Liberty International Airport, NJT is no longer pursuing the Newark–Elizabeth Rail Link. The airport has a monorail link to NJT's
Northeast Corridor Line and Amtrak's
Northeast Corridor, both of which run to both Newark and Elizabeth. == Incidents ==