Pascack Valley Line

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox rail line The Pascack Valley Line is a commuter rail line operated by the Hoboken Division of New Jersey Transit, in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. The line runs north from Hoboken Terminal, through Hudson and Bergen counties in New Jersey, and into Rockland County, New York, terminating at Spring Valley station. Service within New York is operated under contract with Metro-North Railroad. The line is named for the Pascack Valley region that it passes through in northern Bergen County. The line parallels the Pascack Brook for some distance. The line is colored purple on system maps, and its symbol is a pine tree.

Description

File:20220905 181226 NJT GP40 4213.jpg

NJ Transit GP-40PH-2 4213 leading an outbound Pascack Valley Line train at Main St. level crossing in Hackensack, N.J.

The Pascack Valley Line runs between Spring Valley, New York, and Hoboken Terminal. The line is Template:Convert long, of which the northernmost Template:Convert are in New York State. The entire line is owned by NJ Transit, but the Pearl River, Nanuet and Spring Valley stations are leased to Metro-North Railroad. The line is single tracked, but sidings at points along the line, including the Meadowlands, Hackensack and Nanuet, permit bi-directional off-peak service. A siding in Oradell was also planned for increased service and reliability, but the project was halted due to local opposition.<ref>Pascack Valley Line Right-of-Way Improvement Project. New Jersey Transit, January 2006.</ref><ref>NJ TRANSIT RAMPS UP PROJECT TO PROVIDE BI-DIRECTIONAL, OFF-PEAK SERVICE ON PASCACK VALLEY LINE: Project also makes way for rail service to the Meadowlands Template:Webarchive, press release dated May 11, 2005</ref> Service on this line operates seven days a week.<ref>PASCACK VALLEY LINE CUSTOMERS TO GET IMPROVED SERVICE THIS FALL, New Jersey Transit Press Release August 16, 2007 Template:Webarchive Accessed September 13, 2007</ref>

History

Template:Multiple image The line was originally chartered as the Hackensack and New York Railroad in 1856. It later became the New Jersey and New York Railroad, which was bought by the Erie Railroad in 1896. The New Jersey and New York Railroad continued to exist as an Erie subsidiary until October 17, 1960 merger that created the Erie Lackawanna Railroad.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Citation needed

File:PiermontBranch 19310927.png

Passenger Timetable for the New York & New Jersey Railroad and Piermont Branch, effective 1931-09-27

On April 1, 1976 the Erie Lackawanna was merged with several other railroads to create Conrail.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1983, after several years under operation by Conrail, operations of the Pascack Valley Line were transferred to NJ Transit Rail Operations.

The line used to continue north of Spring Valley to Haverstraw, New York. This portion of the line has been abandoned and most of the right-of-way has been sold off. Part of the line (between Spring Valley and Nanuet) was once part of the main Erie Railroad line from Piermont, New York to Buffalo, New York.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Into the 1930s there had been Erie passenger service from Spring Valley at the end of the Pascack line to Suffern station on the newer Erie Main Line.<ref>'Official Guide of the Railways,' August 1936, Erie Railroad section, Table 47</ref> By 1941, this was reduced to a single weekday trip in each direction.<ref>'Official Guide of the Railways,' June 1941, Erie Railroad section, Table 38</ref>

In August 2020, amidst the financial repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that it would shut down service on the line in Rockland County if federal bailout money were not available.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Route description

The Pascack Valley is largely a one-track line but the line starts from Hoboken Terminal as with the rest of the Hoboken Division lines, The line heads through the Bergen Tunnels and then heads down West End Interlocking as trains not only split off with the Morristown Line, Montclair-Boonton Line, and Gladstone Branch but the train heads into diesel-powered rail zones. After a few miles, the train arrives at its first station stop: Secaucus Junction which serves as a major transfer point between NJ-transit rail's Newark and Hoboken Divisions.

Just after Leaving Secaucus, the line follows the right of way as it splits off with the Main Line as it follows the Bergen County Line through the Meadowlands, the line not only passes the former Harmon Cove station but it also parallels the Hackensack River to its left and Meadowlands Parkway complexes to its right. The line uses the HX Draw to cross the Hackensack River and enters into Bergen County, the train heads through the Meadowlands, the line not only crosses under the New Jersey Turnpike but it also crosses under Route 3 at Berry's Creek. The Pascack Valley Line splits off with the Bergen County Line at Pascack Junction as the line heads through East Rutherford and the line passes sport Interlocking before it heads onto a 1 track line towards Spring Valley station.

The first stop for trains after leaving Secaucus Junction is Wood-Ridge station, from Wood-Ridge the line bypasses Hasbrouck Heights and as the line passes a siding, it arrives at its next station stop : Teterboro station.

After Teterboro, the line crosses under U.S. Route 46 and as the line inches closer to Hackensack, the line crosses under Interstate 80 before it enters Hackensack, the line has two station stops in Hackensack, first is the Essex Street station in Hackensack and from Essex Street, trains head through the streets of Hackensack and pass by Hackensack High School before arriving at its next station stop : Anderson Street station.

After Anderson Street, the line heads out of Hackensack and as the line crosses under Route 4 it arrives at its next station stop: New Bridge Landing station. After New Bridge Landing, the line heads up into the suburbs where it enters River Edge, New Jersey, which is where the line serves the namesake station. After River Edge, the line bypasses New Milford and heads into Oradell where the line enters its next station stop that serves the namesake town.

After Oradell, the line enters the Pascack Valley and in the Pascack Valley, the line serves Emerson, Westwood, and Hillsdale but the line bypasses the former Hillsdale manor station and then the trains serves three more municipalities within the Pascack Valley which include Woodcliff Lake, Park Ridge, and Montvale. Trains cross the New York State line into Rockland County, where the line serves Pearl River in Orangetown and Nanuet in Clarkstown. Afterwards the train would cross over a highway that carries Interstate 87, Interstate 287, and the New York State Thruway before arriving at its final stop at Spring Valley station.

Rolling stock

The Pascack Valley line is a diesel powered line, utilizing diesel locomotives, such as the GP40PH-2, GP40FH-2, F40PH-3C, PL42AC, and ALP-45DP. Most trains consist of Comet V cars; Multilevel coaches are also used.

September 2016 crash

Template:Main On September 29, 2016, Pascack Valley Line Train 1614 crashed into Hoboken Terminal injuring 108 and killing one.<ref>A New Jersey Train Crash Has Left at Least 100 People Injured Esquire By Associated Press; September 29, 2016</ref> It was later determined that the engineer Thomas Gallagher had been suffering from sleep apnea and had failed to report it.

Stations

State	Zone<ref name="schedule">Template:Cite web</ref>	Location	Station<ref name="schedule" />	Milepost (km)	Date opened	Date closed	Connections<ref name="schedule" />
NJ	1	Hoboken	Hoboken Terminal Template:NJT acc	0.0 (0.0)	1903		Template:Rint NJ Transit Rail: Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb Template:Ric: Template:Rcb Template:Rint Hudson–Bergen Light Rail: Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb Template:Ric: Template:Rcb Template:Rcb Template:Rcb Template:Bus icon NJ Transit Bus Template:Rint NY Waterway to Battery Park City
		Secaucus	Secaucus Junction Template:NJT acc	3.5 (5.6)	December 15, 2003<ref name=secaucus-open>Template:Cite web</ref>		Template:Rint NJ Transit Rail (upper level): Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb Template:Rint NJ Transit Rail (lower level): Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb Template:Ric: Template:Rcb Template:Bus icon NJ Transit Bus
	3	Carlstadt	Template:Stn		January 21, 1861<ref name="1861baer">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="1861opening">Template:Cite journal</ref>	1967<ref name="jones" />
		Wood-Ridge	Template:Njts	9.6 (15.4)	January 21, 1861<ref name="1861baer" /><ref name="1861opening" />
		Hasbrouck Heights	Template:Stn		January 21, 1861<ref name="1861baer" /><ref name="1861opening" />	1967<ref name="jones" />
	4		Template:Njts	11.2 (18.0)	May 29, 1904<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>		Formerly Williams Avenue
	5	Hackensack	Template:Stn Template:NJT acc	12.4 (20.0)	January 21, 1861<ref name="1861baer" /><ref name="1861opening" />		Template:Bus icon NJ Transit Bus
			Template:Stn		1870	1953
			Template:Stn			September 9, 1869<ref name="anderson" />
			Template:Njts	13.5 (21.7)	September 9, 1869<ref name="anderson">Template:Cite news</ref>		Template:Bus icon NJ Transit Bus
			Template:Njts		March 4, 1870<ref name="jones">Template:Cite book</ref>	1983<ref name="fairmount close">Template:Cite book</ref>
	6	River Edge	Template:Njts	14.7 (23.7)	March 4, 1870<ref name="jones" />		Template:Bus icon NJ Transit Bus, Rockland Coaches
			Template:Njts	16.4 (29.4)	March 4, 1870<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>		Template:Bus icon NJ Transit Bus, Rockland Coaches
			Template:Stn		March 4, 1870
	7	Oradell	Template:Njts	17.8 (28.6)	March 4, 1870<ref name="oradell-open">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>		Template:Bus icon NJ Transit Bus, Rockland Coaches
	8	Emerson	Template:Njts	19.3 (31.1)	March 4, 1870		Template:Bus icon NJ Transit Bus, Rockland Coaches
	9	Westwood	Template:Njts Template:NJT acc	20.5 (33.0)	March 4, 1870<ref name="westwood-open">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>		Template:Bus icon NJ Transit Bus, Rockland Coaches
		Hillsdale	Template:Njts	21.4 (34.4)	March 4, 1870<ref name="westwood-open" />		Template:Bus icon Rockland Coaches
			Template:Stn		1893<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	10	Woodcliff Lake	Template:Njts	22.7 (36.5)	May 27, 1871<ref name="1871mayopening">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
		Park Ridge	Template:Njts	23.6 (38.0)	May 27, 1871<ref name="1871mayopening" />
		Montvale	Template:Njts Template:NJT acc	24.2 (38.9)	May 27, 1871<ref name="1871mayopening" />		Template:Bus icon Rockland Coaches
NY	MNR	Orangetown	Template:Mnrr	25.6 (41.2)	May 27, 1871<ref name="1871mayopening" />		Template:Bus icon Transport of Rockland
		Clarkstown	Template:Mnrr Template:MNR acc	27.9 (44.9)	June 30, 1841Template:Sfn<ref name="1841opening">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>		Template:Bus icon Transport of Rockland, Rockland Coaches
		Spring Valley	Template:Mnrr	30.6 (49.2)	June 30, 1841Template:Sfn<ref name="1841opening" />		Template:Bus icon Transport of Rockland, Hudson Link, Rockland Coaches

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Metro-North Railroad Schedules
• Pascack Valley Line History
• Some additional history