Cranford is an active commuter railroad station in the township of Cranford, Union County, New Jersey. Trains operate between High Bridge and Newark Penn Station (with limited trains continuing to New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal) on New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line. The next station east is Roselle Park while west is Garwood. Cranford station contains two side platforms to service three tracks and is accessible for handicapped persons under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Cranford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Cranford station in August 2014. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | South Avenue (CR 610) and High Street, Cranford, New Jersey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°39′20″N 74°18′10″W / 40.6555°N 74.3028°W | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Raritan Valley Line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 16.1 miles (25.9 km) from Jersey City[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections |
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| Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fare zone | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | January 1, 1839[2][3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1844, 1869,[4] 1906,[2] October 1928–May 16, 1930[5][6] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Previous names | French House (1839–1869)[4] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | 1,264 (average weekday)[7] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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History
editCranford station opened as French House with the opening of the Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad on January 1, 1839. The first station was built in 1844, replaced itself in 1869, when it attained its current name of Cranford.[4] The 1869 depot came down in 1905, replaced with a new depot in 1906. The Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) replaced the station in 1929 and 1930 when they began a track elevation process in October 1928. In 1967, the construction and opening of the Aldene Plan, resulting in the line using the former Lehigh Valley Railroad alignment into Newark rather than continuing to Communipaw Terminal in Jersey City. This resulted in a shuttle service between East 33rd Street station in Bayonne and Cranford station. This service operated until August 6, 1978.[8]
NJ Transit considered Cranford station as a stop of the Union go bus expressway, a bus rapid transit service utilizing the former CNJ alignment between Cranford and Elizabeth.[9][10][11]
Station layout
editThe station has two high-level side platforms serving two tracks. The inbound platform is 645 feet (197 m) long while the outbound platform is 666 feet (203 m) long; both can accommodate six cars.[12]
Bibliography
edit- Clayton, W. Woodford (1882). History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Everts and Peck. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
References
edit- ^ NJ Transit (2005). NJ Transit Rail Operations: Physical Characteristics. pp. 117–119, 142b, 173–182.
- ^ a b Bernhart, Benjamin L. (2004). Historic Journeys By Rail: Central Railroad of New Jersey Stations, Structures & Marine Equipment. Outer Station Project. p. 59. ISBN 1891402072.
- ^ "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 August 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Clayton 1882, p. 404.
- ^ "Cranford to Open New Station at Cranford Sunday". The Courier-News. Plainfield, New Jersey. August 10, 1929. p. 4. Retrieved November 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Central Opens New Cranford Station Today". The Courier-News. Plainfield, New Jersey. May 16, 1930. p. 16. Retrieved November 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "QUARTERLY RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANALYSIS" (PDF). New Jersey Transit. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 19, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
- ^ Thorpe. "CONRAIL/NJ D.O.T. Draws the Curtain on the Bayonne Shuttle". www.thorpefamily.us. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
- ^ "Union County Go bus expressway" (PDF). NJ Transit Bus Service: The Next Generation. New Jersey Transit. April 26, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ^ "Bollwage supports construction of new midtown train station by NJ Transit". Suburban News. March 16, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
- ^ "Elizabeth Downtown Multi-Modal Integration Study". North Jersey Transportation Planning Organization. 2011. Archived from the original on November 10, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ^ "RARITAN VALLEY LINE ONE-SEAT RIDE SERVICE TO MANHATTAN" (PDF). July 2020. pp. 76, 81. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
External links
edit
Media related to Cranford (NJT station) at Wikimedia Commons
- world.nycsubway.org - NJT Raritan Line
- Photo and brief narrated history of earlier Cranford station by Cranford resident Bernie Wagenblast
- Union Avenue / Walnut Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
- Station from Google Maps Street View
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