Somerville station

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.

Somerville
The new Somerville station with high-level platform in construction during May 2011.
LocationSouth Bridge Street, Somerville, New Jersey
Coordinates40.5661°N 74.6141°W / 40.5661; -74.6141
Owned byNJ Transit
Line(s)Raritan Valley Line
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsNJ Transit Bus: 65, 114
Construction
ParkingMonthly or daily
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Fare zone17[1]
History
OpenedJanuary 1, 1842[2]
RebuiltNovember 28, 1856[3]
May 1867[4]
September 1889–November 18, 1890[5][6]
Passengers
2012677 (average weekday)[7]
Services
Preceding station NJ Transit Following station
Raritan
toward High Bridge
 Raritan Valley Line Bridgewater
toward New York Penn Station or Hoboken
Finderne
Closed 2006
toward New York Penn Station or Hoboken
Former services
Preceding station Central Railroad of New Jersey Following station
Raritan
toward Phillipsburg
 Main Line Manville–Finderne
toward Jersey City
Terminus Somerville – Jersey City
Local
Roycefield
toward Flemington
 South Branch Terminus

History

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.

Historical building, former train station, 2008

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

The station has two high-level side platforms.

P
Platform level
Side platform
Track 1 ←      Raritan Valley Line toward Raritan or High Bridge (Raritan)
Track 2 ←      Raritan Valley Line toward Newark Penn Station (Bridgewater) →
Side platform
G Street level Station building, parking, buses T Tunnel connecting both platforms

Bibliography

References
  1. "Raritan Valley Line Timetables" (PDF). Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. November 7, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  2. "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.
  3. Bianculli 2001, p. 152.
  4. Bianculli 2001, p. 151.
  5. "Jottings". The Plainfield Evening News. September 21, 1889. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Somerville Improvements". The Plainfield Evening News. November 18, 1890. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "QUARTERLY RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANALYSIS" (PDF). New Jersey Transit. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  8. "Somerville Station: New High-Level Platforms Open Tuesday, December 7". Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. December 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  9. "NJ Transit Begins Reconstruction of Somerville Station" (Press release). New Jersey Transit. March 27, 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
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