Paterson & Newark Rail Road Company

Product Details

Historical Context

The Paterson & Newark Rail Road was incorporated in New Jersey on October 25, 1864.

By 1869, the line - which was an Erie Railroad subsidiary - had developed a 10.8 miles right-of way along the western banks of the Passaic between the two cities for which it was named. The line was conceived as a connection between Newark and Paterson, where a transfer was possible to Erie's Main Line southbound service to the Hudson Waterfront and ferries across the Hudson River to New York City or northbound to New York State and the Midwest. Service began by 1870 but was hindered by unresolved issues with landowners opposed to the seizure of their riverfront property.

Originally a crossing of the Lower Passaic River was planned so trains from Newark could travel east using the New Jersey Railroad bridge, right-of-way, and terminal at Exchange Place in Jersey City. In 1871, construction began on a new alignment from Newark to Jersey City. The company was re-organized in 1872 and renamed the Paterson, Newark, and New York Railroad. When a crossing was developed at the site of NX Bridge. Eventually trackage from the river crossing converged with the New York and Greenwood Lake Railway, which crossed the Passaic to the north over the WR Draw. From that junction in the Kearny Meadows, the two lines continued east over the Hackensack River on the DB Draw to the Long Dock Tunnel through Bergen Hill, terminating at Erie's Pavonia Terminal.

Passenger service on the line became known as the Newark Branch. From Pavonia Terminal, and later Hoboken Terminal, service ran west to Harrison and Kearny. After crossing the Passaic into Newark, it ran west of and parallel to the river to Belleville, Nutley, Clifton and Paterson with some continuing service to Glen Rock, Ridgewood, Ho-Ho-Kus, and Waldwick. Like the Bergen County Line, the Newark was a branch of the Main Line, both with service extending north to Waldwick, laying over at nearby Waldwick Yard. Commuter operations on the Newark Branch were discontinued in October 1966.

Related Collections