Contents

Somerville station

Somerville
The new Somerville station with high-level platform in construction during May 2011.
General information
Location	South Bridge Street, Somerville, New Jersey
Coordinates	40°33′58″N 74°36′51″W / 40.5661°N 74.6141°W / 40.5661; -74.6141
Owned by	NJ Transit
Line(s)	Raritan Valley Line
Platforms	2side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	NJ Transit Bus: 65, 114
Construction
Parking	Monthly or daily
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	17[1]
History
Opened	January 1, 1842[2]
Rebuilt	November 28, 1856[3] May 1867[4] September 1889–November 18, 1890[5][6]
Passengers
2012	677 (average weekday)[7]
Services
Preceding station NJ Transit Following station Raritan toward High Bridge Raritan Valley Line Bridgewater toward New YorkorHoboken
Former services Preceding station NJ Transit Following station Raritan toward High Bridge Raritan Valley Line Finderne (closed 2006) toward New YorkorHoboken Preceding station Central Railroad of New Jersey Following station Raritan toward Scranton Main Line Bound Brook toward Jersey City Terminus Somerville – Jersey City Local Manville–Finderne toward Jersey City Roycefield toward Flemington South Branch Terminus
Location

Somerville is a NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, located south of the downtown center of Somerville, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The historic station building on the north side of the tracks has been restored and now is used by a law firm. Parking lots are located to the south of the station and there is a tunnel there to access the platforms. Like many of the stations on the Raritan Valley Line, Somerville was not a wheelchair accessible station until December 7, 2010.

History[edit]

In 2004, the station's parking lot was expanded, toward the two railroad tracks, from the south side, to include parking for another 68 cars. These spaces are no longer available as a construction project is in progress.

At some point, the stationhouse and the train tracks were on the same level. An historical photo of the Somerville station with the tracks in front of it can be seen in the Arcadia Publishing historical photo book Somerset County in Postcards, by Alan A. Siegel, Somerset County Historical Society (ISBN 0-7385-0078-X). In 2009, a reconstruction project began at the station to install high-level platforms and make the station handicap accessible. This project includes new ramps, renovations to the existing tunnel, rehabilitation of the existing freight elevator shafts, a new tunnel headhouse, and demolition of the two existing waiting rooms. It was announced on December 1, 2010 that the high level platforms would open on Tuesday, December 7, 2010 to allow for demolition of the low level platforms and continued platform construction.^[8] The historic station depot is being kept.^[9]

Starting January 12, 2015, NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line started Midtown Direct service between New York City and Somerville and its surrounding area.

Station layout[edit]

The station has two high-level side platforms serving two tracks. Both are 710 feet (220 m) long and can accommodate eight cars.^[10]

Bibliography[edit]

• Bianculli, Anthony J. (2001). Trains and Technology: Track and Structures. University of Delaware Press. ISBN 9780874138023.

References[edit]

1. ^ "Raritan Valley Line Timetables" (PDF). Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. November 7, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 7, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2010.

^ "Original Route of New Jersey Central Railroad Followed Old Post Road Between Plainfield, Elizabethport, Historian Says". The Plainfield Courier-News. December 31, 1938. p. 7. Retrieved March 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

^ "Jottings". The Plainfield Evening News. September 21, 1889. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.

^ "Somerville Improvements". The Plainfield Evening News. November 18, 1890. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[edit]

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

• world.nycsubway.org - NJT Raritan Line
• Bridge Street entrance from Google Maps Street View