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104-523: The Northeast Corridor Line is colored red on NJ Transit system maps and its symbol is the New Jersey State House . The Princeton Branch is a shuttle service connecting to the line. Connecting SEPTA Trenton Line service between Philadelphia and Trenton is listed in the timetable. Service on what is now the Northeast Corridor dates to the 1830s, with trains originating and terminating at

208-471: A "train haven" and re-inspection facility where equipment could be stored during serious storms at an expanded and reconfigured County Yard in New Brunswick following severe flooding after Hurricane Sandy , which demonstrated the vulnerability of the agency's facilities to flooding. New Jersey State House The New Jersey State House is the capitol building of the U.S. state of New Jersey and

312-639: A canal across Pennsylvania and thus the Main Line of Public Works was commissioned in 1826. It soon became evident that a single canal would not be practical and a series of railroads, inclined planes, and canals was proposed. The route consisted of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad , canals up the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers, an inclined plane railroad called the Allegheny Portage Railroad ,

416-519: A classification system for their freight cars. Similar to their locomotives, the Pennsy used a letter system to designate the various types and sub-types of freight and maintenance cars. As noted, Pennsy colors and paint schemes were standardized. Locomotives were painted in a shade of green so dark it seemed almost black. The official name for this color was DGLE (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel), though often referred to as "Brunswick Green." The undercarriage of

520-588: A continuous railroad line ran between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh over the tracks of several entities including the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1853, the Pennsy was granted trackage rights over the Philadelphia and Columbia, providing a connection between the two cities and connecting with the HPMtJ&;L at Lancaster and Columbia. By 1854, the Pennsy completed its line from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, eliminating

624-466: A contract with WSP USA was executed for design and engineering of the station, with it proceeding a month later. In January 2022, a consensus regarding location and design was reached. By the end of 2022, 10% of the conceptual design was approved by NJT. In February 2023, renderings and the plans for the station were revealed, and the bid for construction is set to go out by the end of 2025. NJT currently originates trains to New York during peak hours from

728-498: A day from New York City to Trenton, seven from New York City to New Brunswick, two from Jersey City to Trenton and six from Jersey City to New Brunswick. That includes just the trains that terminated at Trenton or New Brunswick; many more trains from New York City to Philadelphia and beyond carried passengers to some suburban stations. By the 1960s, the financial situation of the Pennsylvania Railroad began deteriorating. With

832-489: A dedication ceremony on May 1, 2023. The New Jersey State House is unusual among state capitol buildings in the United States, the majority of which are reminiscent of the U.S. Capitol . The building consists of two parallel structures connected by the dome-capped rotunda, resembling the letter H , with its long arm parallel to State Street. A long portico wing, added by Notman and subsequently enlarged, extends west from

936-660: A government-guaranteed $ 200 million operating loan forced Penn Central to file for bankruptcy protection on June 21, 1970. In May 1971, passenger operations, including equipment, were transferred to a new government-subsidized company called the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, or Amtrak . This was devised to relieve the Penn Central (and other railroads) of money-losing passenger service. Penn Central rail lines, including ex-Pennsy lines, were transferred to Conrail in 1976, and eventually Amtrak received

1040-540: A multi-modal freight transportation subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It owned oil tanker cars and used them to transport refined oil for mostly independent oil refiners during the era of John D. Rockefeller's and Standard Oil's oil refinery mergers of the 1870s. The company also owned grain freight boats on the Great Lakes and oil pipelines in the oil regions of Pennsylvania . When the company attempted to buy and build some oil refineries in 1877, Standard Oil bought

1144-466: A new rotunda and dome, as well as limestone facing. In 1891, James Moylan , an architect and sitting assemblyman, led the replacement of the Assembly wing. He redesigned it in a late Victorian style , rotating the wing to be parallel to the building's center wing. There was also an addition to the west wing to add private offices for the governor and judges, as well as a third floor added to the south end of

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1248-553: A new station was built at Linden. The new northbound tracks at Linden opened on July 9, 1914. In 1915, the six tracking of the line between South Elizabeth and Colonia was completed, including grade separation work in Rahway and Linden. On July 11, 1915, the westbound platforms at Rahway and the flying junction with the Perth Amboy Branch were completed. The new Rahway station was completed on December 1, 1915. On September 25, 1929,

1352-469: A percentage of its capital stock. Several lines were then aided by the Pennsy in hopes to secure additional traffic. By the end of 1854, the Pennsy purchased stock in the Ohio & Pennsylvania, Ohio & Indiana, Marietta & Cincinnati, Maysville & Big Sandy, and Springfield, Mt. Vernon & Pittsburgh railroads, totalling $ 1,450,000 (equivalent to $ 49.2 million in 2023). The Steubenville & Indiana

1456-456: A split of two mountain ravines which were cleverly crossed by building a fill and having the tracks ascend a 220-degree curve known as Horseshoe Curve that limited the grade to less than 2 percent. The crest of the mountain would be penetrated by the 3,612 ft (1,101 m) Gallitzin Tunnels , from which the route descended by a more moderate grade to Johnstown . The western end of the line

1560-499: A stake in Madison Square Garden . The company began to acquire a portfolio of insurance companies in 1988. In 1994, the company reorganized as American Premier Underwriters , a subsidiary of American Financial Group , which continues to operate as a property and casualty insurance company as-of January 2024. Thomson (1808–1874) was the entrepreneur who led the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1852 until his death in 1874, making it

1664-478: A three-stepped office wing on the north side of the original building. An expansion of the river-side portico occurred in 1865. In 1871, architect Samuel Sloan was commissioned to design new wings to house both legislative chambers. On March 21, 1885, a large fire destroyed the West State Street wing. Architect Lewis Broome led the reconstruction of the building in a simplified Second Empire style . He added

1768-574: A tunnel across the Allegheny Mountains , and canals down the Conemaugh and Allegheny rivers to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , on the Ohio River; it was completed in 1834. Because freight and passengers had to change conveyances several times along the route and canals froze in winter, it soon became apparent that the system was cumbersome and a better way was needed. There were two applications made to

1872-554: A typical Amtrak train causing the former's riders to prefer the trains and the latter's riders to avoid them. With most Clocker riders using NJ Transit tickets, NJ Transit supplied new ALP-46 locomotives to haul the trains' Amfleet coaches; Amtrak soon discontinued the Clocker service altogether and sold the capacity slots to NJ Transit for new Trenton express trains. The Clocker last ran on October 28, 2005, and thereafter NJ Transit began several extra Trenton-New York express trips. During

1976-541: A year, then the B&;O bill would become effective and the Pennsy's void, thereby allowing the B&O to build into Pennsylvania and on to Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania Railroad fulfilled the requirements and Letters Patent were issued by the Pennsylvania governor on February 25, 1847. The governor declared the B&O's rights void the following August. In 1847, the Pennsy's directors chose J. Edgar Thomson , an engineer from

2080-488: Is hard to reach and has little space for parking; Princeton Junction has no direct access to a major highway and its vast parking lot had long since reached capacity. The Hamilton Station was built for New York area commuters traveling increasing distances to work. Its direct freeway access and ample parking proved a hit with riders and it is one of the busiest stations on the New Jersey Transit system. The conversion of

2184-502: Is no direct pedestrian access, bus service, parking facility, or drop-off area. While the Port Authority has studied plans to extend PATH to Newark Airport station , these plans were put on hold in 2023. The Waterfront Connection opened in 1991, allowing eastward trains from the ex-PRR Northeast Corridor to connect to ex-DL&W Morris and Essex Lines to Hoboken Terminal . No NEC trains serve Hoboken Terminal as of January 2010 (in

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2288-509: Is skipped by most NEC Line trains and trains cannot stop at Jersey Ave eastbound. The line's route is part of the middle leg of Amtrak 's Northeast Corridor . All eleven of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor services run along this line. New York Penn, Newark Penn, and Trenton have long been among Amtrak's busiest stations; connections to Amtrak are also available at Newark International Liberty Airport, Metropark, New Brunswick, and Princeton Junction. With fast and frequent Amtrak and NJ Transit service,

2392-560: Is surrounded by other legislative buildings. The most scenic view of the building is from the west, near the Delaware River, and is the side dominated by the various additions. Viewed from State Street, the dome is scarcely visible and there is little sense of the scale or design of the building. The governor's office occupies the remaining portion of the original 1792 State House. Tours are offered by reservation daily Monday through Friday, except state holidays. The tours typically include

2496-668: Is the third-oldest state house in continuous legislative use in the United States. Located in Trenton , it was originally built in 1792 and is notable for its close proximity to the state border with Pennsylvania , which makes it the closest capitol building to a state border. The building accommodates both the New Jersey Legislature 's Senate and General Assembly chambers, offices of the governor , lieutenant governor , and various state government departments. The State House has experienced numerous expansions and renovations to meet

2600-609: The Broadway Limited which became the most famous train operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad. This train ran from New York City to Chicago, via Philadelphia, with an additional section between Harrisburg and Washington (later operated as a separate Washington–Chicago train, the Liberty Limited ). In 1890, the Pennsylvania Railroad gained control of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (PCC&StL), itself

2704-587: The Congressional Limited s in both directions were the first trains in regular electric operation between New York and Washington, drawn by the first of the GG1 -type locomotives . In 1934, the Pennsylvania received a $ 77 million loan from the New Deal 's Public Works Administration to complete the electrification project begun in 1928. Work was started January 27, 1937, on the main line from Paoli to Harrisburg;

2808-658: The Georgia Railroad , to survey and construct the line. He chose a route that followed the west bank of the Susquehanna River northward to the confluence with the Juniata River, following its banks until the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains were reached at a point that would become Altoona, Pennsylvania . To traverse the mountains, the line would climb a moderate grade for 10 miles (16 km) until it reached

2912-549: The Hudson River tunnels . The next area to be electrified was the Philadelphia terminal area, where Pennsy officials decided to use overhead lines to supply power to the suburban trains running out of Broad Street Station . Unlike the New York terminal system, overhead wires would carry 11,000-volt 25-Hertz alternating current (AC) power, which became the standard for future installations. On September 12, 1915, electrification of

3016-632: The Jersey Avenue station in New Brunswick . As of 2013, the agency planned to build a flying junction and balloon loop called the Mid-Line Loop south of a new station south of Jersey Avenue in North Brunswick, allowing trains to turn around, enter and leave the Northeast Corridor without crossing over tracks. In January 2014, NJT awarded a $ 7.64-million design and engineering contract to develop

3120-725: The Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor lines. After Conrail was divided between the Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation , most of the former Pennsy's remaining trackage went to Norfolk Southern. The few parts of the Pennsylvania Railroad that went to CSX after the Conrail split were: After 1976, the Penn Central Corporation held diversified non-rail assets including the Buckeye Pipeline and

3224-676: The Senator from Boston to Washington. On July 1, 1869, the Pennsylvania Railroad leased the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway (PFtW&C) in which it had previously been an investor. The lease gave the Pennsy complete control of that line's direct route through northern Ohio and Indiana as well as entry into the emerging rail hub city of Chicago, Illinois . Acquisitions along the PFtW&;C: Erie and Pittsburgh Railroad , Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad, Toledo, Columbus and Ohio River Railroad, and Pittsburgh, Youngstown and Ashtabula Railway gave

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3328-526: The 1920s, it carried nearly three times the traffic as other railroads of comparable length, such as the Union Pacific and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroads. Its only formidable rival was the New York Central Railroad (NYC), which carried around three-quarters of the Pennsy's ton-miles. In 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with New York Central and the railroad eventually went by

3432-547: The 1980s on either side of the station to allow trains on the inner express tracks to pull over and stop at the two side platforms . Newark Liberty International Airport Station was built in conjunction with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , the owner of Newark Liberty International Airport . This station allows passengers to connect with AirTrain Newark , the airport's monorail. The station opened in late 2001 and

3536-461: The 1990s there was one Hoboken-Trenton train a day) but a few North Jersey Coast Line trains run across the connection during weekday peak hours, allowing NEC passengers to transfer. At other times, passengers must transfer using PATH. The Kearny Connection opened in 1996, allowing the opposite connection, eastward from ex-DL&W to ex-PRR, and many Morristown Line trains now use it to reach New York Penn Station. Opened in 2003, Secaucus Junction

3640-461: The 20th century, the Pennsy tried electric power for its trains. Its first effort was in the New York terminal area, where tunnels and a city law restricting the burning of coal precluded steam locomotives. In 1910, the railroad began operating a direct current (DC) 650-volt system whose third-rail powered Pennsy locomotives (and LIRR passenger cars) used to enter Penn Station in New York City via

3744-576: The Delaware River from Philadelphia) to South Amboy, New Jersey (across Raritan Bay from New York City), as well as a newer line from Philadelphia to Jersey City, New Jersey, much closer to New York, via Trenton, New Jersey. Track connection in Philadelphia was made via the Pennsy's Connecting Railway and the jointly owned Junction Railroad . The Pennsy's Baltimore and Potomac Rail Road opened on July 2, 1872, between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. This route required transfer via horse car in Baltimore to

3848-532: The New York Central Railroad. The Pennsylvania Railroad absorbed the New York Central and eventually went by the name of Penn Central Transportation Company . The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) required that the ailing New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NH) be added in 1969. A series of events including inflation, poor management, abnormally harsh weather, and the withdrawal of

3952-561: The Northeast Corridor Line is electric via overhead lines and uses either Budd / GE Arrow III multiple unit cars during rush hours and normally one to two sets on the weekends, and push-pull locomotive trains hauled by ALP-46 , an electric or ALP-45DP dual-mode locomotive, at all times. These trains are made up of Comet series cars or Bombardier Transportation MultiLevels . The modern era of commuter operations began in 1983 when New Jersey Transit Rail Operations took over

4056-466: The Northeast Corridor Line. Clocker trains were started by the Pennsylvania Railroad between Philadelphia and New York City ; until the 1950s, weekday trains departed New York City and Philadelphia on the hour through the day, giving rise to the Clocker name. After the Amtrak takeover of the Northeast Corridor the no-longer-hourly "Clocker" service was targeted at commuters making local stops bypassed by

4160-523: The Northeast Corridor. In 2004 the River Line light rail Trenton station opened across the street, creating a rail link between the Northeast Corridor Line and Camden and the riverfront communities of Burlington County that did not require crossing the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. In 2008 the station was formally renamed the Trenton Transit Center as the station was overhauled, including

4264-629: The PRR Board authorized the extension of the line's fifth and sixth tracks between "LANE" and "ELMORA" interlockings. The Board authorized the widening of the line's right-of-way between Elizabeth and Trenton on October 9, 1929. On November 1, 1929, the PRR announced it would build a new $ 1.75 million station at Trenton. This plan was abandoned in the Spring as a result of the Great Depression . On April 15, 1930,

Northeast Corridor Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

4368-562: The PRR began passenger train service from New York City via Philadelphia to Washington with limited stops along the route. This service became known as the "Congressional Limited Express." The service expanded, and by the 1920s, the Pennsy was operating hourly passenger train service between New York, Philadelphia and Washington. In 1952, 18-car stainless steel streamliners were introduced on the Morning Congressional and Afternoon Congressional between New York and Washington, as well as

4472-549: The PRR's terminal at Exchange Place in Jersey City, New Jersey , which was the terminus of the PRR's network for most of the 19th century. In December 1855, work to extend the line's second track from Elizabethtown to Rahway was completed, eliminating the need for trains to meet in single-track territory. The New Jersey Railroad Board approved a contract for the rails for the second track between New Brunswick and Rahway to Cooper & Hewitt on February 5, 1859. The completion of

4576-538: The Pennsy access to the iron ore traffic on Lake Erie. On June 15, 1887, the Pennsylvania Limited began running between New York and Chicago. This was also the introduction of the vestibule, an enclosed platform at the end of each passenger car, allowing protected access to the entire train. In 1902 the Pennsylvania Limited was replaced by the Pennsylvania Special which in turn was replaced in 1912 by

4680-443: The Pennsy owned 439 freight cars. By 1857, it had 1,861 cars, and in 1866, 9,379 cars. Freight equipment was either acquired new from builders or built by the railroad itself. The Pennsy acquired more cars from the railroads it absorbed. In some instances, privately owned cars were either purchased from a builder or railroad acquisition. One such example was the 1877 purchase of Empire Transportation merchandise and oil cars. By

4784-545: The Pennsylvania Railroad gained control of the Northern Central Railway , giving it access to Baltimore, Maryland , and points along the Susquehanna River via connections at Columbia, Pennsylvania, or Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. On December 1, 1871, the Pennsy leased the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company , which included the original Camden and Amboy Railroad from Camden, New Jersey (across

4888-480: The Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest railroad (by traffic and revenue), the largest transportation enterprise, and the largest corporation in the world, on par with the London & North Western Railway . Over its existence, Pennsylvania Railroad acquired, merged with, or owned part of at least 800 other rail lines and companies. At the end of 1926, it operated 11,640.66 miles (18,733.83 kilometers) of rail line; in

4992-503: The Pennsylvania legislature in 1846. The first was for a new railroad called The Pennsylvania Railroad Company to build a line between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The second was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), which wanted to build to Pittsburgh from Cumberland, Maryland. Both applications were granted with conditions. If the Pennsylvania Railroad did not raise enough capital and contract to build enough railroad within

5096-448: The Senate and Assembly chamber galleries, the rotunda, and governor's office reception room. . Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR ), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company , also known as the " Pennsy ", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. At its peak in 1882,

5200-784: The Trenton to New York City portion of the Northeast Corridor is one of the busiest rail lines in North America . With high levels of service and a route through one of the most densely populated areas of the United States , the Northeast Corridor Line is New Jersey Transit's busiest rail line. On an average weekday in 2012, the Northeast Corridor Line handled 117,400 boardings. The line also contains all of New Jersey Transit's busiest non-terminal stations: Metropark with 7,447 boardings; Princeton Junction with 6,816; Trenton with 4,638; and New Brunswick with 4,976 weekday boardings. All service on

5304-432: The architectural trend of most U.S. capitol buildings , which are reminisicent of the U.S. Capitol , and is integrated into an urban setting instead of a park-like campus. It offers daily tours to the public and provides an educational platform for middle and high school students. After the legislature relocated to Trenton from Perth Amboy in 1790, it purchased 3.75 acres (0.0152 km ) land for £250. Construction on

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5408-419: The average capacity of a Pennsylvania Railroad freight car increased from 31 to 54 short tons (28 to 48 long tons; 28 to 49 t). This increased to 55 short tons (49 long tons; 50 t) in the mid-1930s and then to 56 short tons (50 long tons; 51 t) in 1945. By the start of 1946, the Pennsy's freight car ownership decreased to 240,293 cars and in 1963, down to 140,535. The Pennsylvania Railroad used

5512-487: The center wing. In 1900, the wing was extended again. In 1903, Merchantville architect Arnold Moses reconstructed the Senate wing in the American Renaissance style. The New Jersey State House's original east wing was replaced with a four-story office section in 1906 and attained its current size in 1912 with extensions to the east and west wing. The only major change in the decades since has been modernization of

5616-458: The company. The controlling, non-institutional shareholders of the PRR during the early 1960s were Henry Stryker Taylor , who was a part of the Jacob Bunn business dynasty of Illinois, and Howard Butcher III, a principal in the Philadelphia brokerage house of Butcher & Sherrerd (later Butcher & Singer). On February 1, 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with its longtime arch-rival,

5720-474: The complete replacement of the station headhouse and concourse structure which had last been rebuilt during the 1960s. The new station has more space for vendors and passengers. Hamilton Station in Hamilton Township opened in 1999, costing $ 30 million (1992 USD ). With almost direct access to Interstate 295 , park and ride capacity was large with 1,556 spaces available at the station's opening. Due to

5824-558: The electrified trackage are still in use, owned and operated by Amtrak as the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor high-speed rail routes, by SEPTA , and by NJ Transit . The Pennsylvania Railroad's corporate symbol was the keystone , the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's state symbol, with the letters "PRR" intertwined inside. When colored, it was bright red with a silver-grey inline and lettering. The Pennsylvania Railroad bought its first 75 freight cars in 1849. Two years later,

5928-476: The end of the century, a third and fourth track were added. Over the next 50 years, the Pennsy expanded by gaining control of other railroads by stock purchases and 999-year leases. At the end of its first year of operation, the Pennsylvania Railroad paid a dividend, and continued the dividend without interruption until 1946. The Pennsy's charter was supplemented on March 23, 1853, to allow it to purchase stock and guarantee bonds of railroads in other states, up to

6032-514: The exception of through the cities of Trenton, New Brunswick, Elizabeth, and Newark, the line was completely four tracked between Trenton and Jersey City. Penn Station opened in 1910, but was originally designed for long distance passenger trains. As a result, steam-hauled commuter traffic continued to use the older Jersey City station. On May 10, 1914, the new DX tower at Rahway was placed into service. Newly elevated tracks 3 and 4 were completed that year between Colonia and North Rahway. In addition,

6136-522: The first passenger train, the Metropolitan, went into operation over the newly electrified line from Philadelphia to Harrisburg. On April 15, the electrified freight service from Harrisburg and Enola Yard east was inaugurated, thus completing the Pennsy's eastern seaboard electrification program. The railroad had electrified 2,677 miles (4,308 km) of its track, representing 41% of the country's electrically operated standard railroad trackage. Portions of

6240-514: The formation of Conrail. It reorganized in 1994 as American Premier Underwriters , which continues to operate as a property and casualty insurance company. With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the beginnings of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in 1828, Philadelphia business interests became concerned that the port of Philadelphia would lose traffic. The state legislature was pressed to build

6344-484: The governor's office and related Executive Branch agencies began and was scheduled to finish in 2023. The building was restored to how it looked in the early 1900s. Drop ceilings were removed, revealing long-hidden skylights. Modern sprinklers, fire alarms, heating, and air conditioning were installed, windows were replaced, and internal fire escape stairwells were added. The governor's office and other areas that were closed for renovation were officially re-opened at

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6448-464: The growing needs of the state since its original construction. Designed by Jonathan Doane , the original structure has seen architectural inputs from other notable architects across the centuries. The State House underwent a significant restoration and modernization project in 1987, and another renovation project that started in 2017, with a major focus on the governor's office and related Executive Branch agencies. The New Jersey State House deviates from

6552-470: The haphazard collection of storage tracks around the Trenton Station complex. This not only increased the absolute number of trains that could be stored at the end of the line, but also reduced the number of relay movements needed to position trains in at the correct platform at Trenton. Capacity was also increased by trains no longer having to cross all four mainline tracks to access their storage tracks as

6656-480: The high speed Metroliner and individually named trains. During the 1990s, NJ Transit contracted with Amtrak to accept monthly NJ Transit passholders on the Clocker trains. Soon the Clockers were primarily used by NJ Transit commuters with only a handful of riders taking the trains to or from Philadelphia; the Clockers were much faster (and more comfortable) than a typical NJ Transit train, but slower and more crowded than

6760-547: The largest business enterprise in the world and a world-class model for technological and managerial innovation. He served as the Pennsy's first Chief Engineer and third President. Thomson's sober, technical, methodical, and non-ideological personality had an important influence on the Pennsylvania Railroad, which in the mid-19th century was on the technical cutting edge of rail development, while nonetheless reflecting Thomson's personality in its conservatism and its steady growth while avoiding financial risks. His Pennsylvania Railroad

6864-541: The lettering and outlining was originally done in real gold leaf. After World War II, the lettering was done in a light shade of gold, called Buff Yellow. For most of its existence, the Pennsylvania Railroad was conservative in its locomotive choices and pursued standardization, both in locomotive types and their component parts. Almost alone among U.S. railroads, the Pennsy designed most of its steam locomotive classes itself. It built most of them at Altoona Works , outsourcing only when Pennsy facilities could not keep up with

6968-530: The line from Philadelphia to Paoli, Pennsylvania, was completed. Other Philadelphia lines electrified were the Chestnut Hill Branch (March 30, 1918), White Marsh (1924), the main line to Wilmington, Delaware (September 30, 1928), West Chester (December 2, 1928), Trenton line (June 29, 1930), and completed on July 20, 1930 the Schuylkill Branch to Norristown, Pennsylvania, later followed by

7072-470: The line served the coal region of southern Illinois and as a passenger route for the Pennsylvania Railroad's Blue Ribbon named trains The St. Louisan , The Jeffersonian , and the Spirit of St. Louis . By 1906, the Pennsylvania built several low-grade lines for freight to bypass areas of steep grade (slope) and avoid congestion. These included: Some other lines were planned, but never completed: Early in

7176-458: The locomotives were painted in black, referred to as "True Black." The passenger cars of the Pennsy were painted Tuscan Red , a brick-colored shade of red. Some electric locomotives and most passenger-hauling diesel locomotives were also painted in Tuscan Red. Freight cars of the Pennsy had their own color, known as "Freight Car Color," an iron-oxide shade of red. On passenger locomotives and cars,

7280-649: The low-grade freight line from Morrisville through Columbia to Enola Yard in Pennsylvania; the Port Road Branch from Perryville, Maryland, to Columbia; the Jamesburg Branch and Amboy Secondary freight line from Monmouth Junction to South Amboy; and the Landover-South End freight line from Landover, Maryland, through Washington to Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Virginia. In less than a year, on January 15, 1938,

7384-417: The main corridor in 1950. A lengthy renovation and restoration project began in 1987. The project encompassed the legislative section of the building, an upgrade of mechanical and electrical systems, and the construction of the South Addition (office space). A parking garage, pedestrian tunnel, and other amenities were also constructed. In 2017, a $ 300M restoration of the entire building mainly focused on

7488-634: The merged product of numerous smaller lines in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Commonly called the Panhandle Route , this line ran west from Pittsburgh to Bradford, Ohio , where it split, with one line to Chicago and the other to East St. Louis, Illinois , via Indianapolis, Indiana . In 1905, the acquisition of the Vandalia Railroad gave the Pennsy access across the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri . Double-tracked for much of its length,

7592-448: The mid-1860s, the railroad had 9,379 freight cars; a decade later, 32,718; the mid-1880s, over 49,000; 1896, more than 87,000. The Pennsy changed its car reporting methods around 1900. The railroads owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad system were now included in reports, in addition to the Pennsylvania Railroad proper. So, in 1900, the Pennsy had over 180,000 freight cars; by 1910, 263,039. The zenith of freight car ownership

7696-446: The name of Penn Central Transportation Company , or "Penn Central" for short. The former competitors' networks integrated poorly with each other, and the railroad filed for bankruptcy within two years. Bankruptcy continued and on April 1, 1976, the railroad gave up its rail assets, along with the assets of several other failing northeastern railroads, to a new railroad named Consolidated Rail Corporation , or Conrail for short. Conrail

7800-470: The nearby American Standard factory into transit oriented development led to further ridership gains. A new NJ Transit bus garage was also built within the station complex replacing an older garage formerly used by NJ Transit, and Mercer Metro within the City of Trenton. The Metropark rail station project was initiated by NJDOT in 1968 as part of a plan to accommodate businesses and commuters that were fleeing

7904-432: The new Morrisville yard is accessed by a flying junction . The Trenton Transit Center is the beginning of the New Jersey Transit portion of the Northeast Corridor line and the terminus of SEPTA 's Trenton Line service. The Trenton station is also a major stop for Amtrak trains, serving 2 Acelas, most Northeast Regional trains, most Keystone Service trains, and nearly all medium and long distance trains running along

8008-463: The new Pennsylvania Station in Newark opened for operation on March 24, 1935. An old swing bridge was replaced by a new three-track lift Dock Bridge. In addition, "DOCK" tower, located at the east end of the station, was put into service. The PRR Board authorized the construction of a new waiting room and concrete platform at Rahway on June 26, 1940. The weekday schedule in September 1951 had six trains

8112-415: The new state house, designed by Philadelphia -based architect Jonathan Doane , began in 1792. The Doane building was covered in stucco, measured 150 by 50 feet (46 m × 15 m) and housed the Senate and House chambers in opposite wings. To meet the demands of the growing state, the structure was expanded several times during the 19th century. In 1845, Philadelphia architect John Notman created

8216-469: The next day, ending Pennsylvania Air Line service. In the early 1880s, the Pennsylvania acquired a majority of PW&B Railroad's stock. This action forced the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) to build the Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad to keep its Philadelphia access, where it connected with the Reading Company for its competing Royal Blue Line passenger trains to reach New York. In 1885,

8320-515: The old urban cores . The station opened in 1971 next to the Garden State Parkway for easy access by automobile; nearby stations at Iselin and Colonia closed soon after. The new station was also designed with the new Metroliner Service in mind with high level platforms and a large business park to make the new station a destination in itself. To allow Metroliners and other express trains to stop at Metropark new crossovers were installed in

8424-533: The other lines heading north from the city. On June 29, 1873, the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel through Baltimore was completed. The Pennsylvania Railroad started the Pennsylvania Air Line service ("air line" at the time being understood as a nearly-straight and nearly-flat route with distance similar to "as the crow flies") via the Northern Central Railway and Columbia, Pennsylvania. This service

8528-570: The peak period, stations between North Elizabeth and Rahway are mostly covered by North Jersey Coast Line trains. Stations between Rahway and New Brunswick are served by Jersey Avenue Locals, which originate and terminate at Jersey Avenue station in New Brunswick , while Trenton Express trains make their first or last stop at Princeton Junction or New Brunswick. A few all-stops locals operate sporadically on weekdays as well and all day on weekends. Jersey Avenue Locals make local stops between Rahway and Elizabeth outside peak periods. North Elizabeth station

8632-601: The popularity of the station with commuters arriving via Interstate from points south in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, a parking deck was added in 2007 with 2,066 more spaces for a total of 3,622. The station has sculptures and designs from the Grounds for Sculpture , a sculpture park in Hamilton. Hamilton Station did much to alleviate the increasingly desperate parking situations in Trenton and Princeton Junction. Trenton's downtown station

8736-454: The railroad had estimated the cost would be $ 56,000. On September 10, 1930, the tracks on the line between "UNION" in Rahway and Colonia were realigned to eliminate a curve. After overhead catenary lines were built between Trenton and Penn Station, it was possible to run trains of electric multiple units direct to Manhattan. Accordingly, the PRR began running commuter trains from Trenton to Penn Station in 1933. The three westernmost tracks at

8840-470: The railroad unable to sustain the money losing commuter operation, let alone invest in improved physical plant and rolling stock, the New Jersey Department of Transportation became involved with maintaining the service. In 1968, NJDOT funded construction of the new Metropark station . The following year, in 1969, they funded 35 new stainless steel "Jersey Arrow" MU cars. After 1968, the service

8944-466: The railroad's needs. In such cases, subcontractors were hired to build to PRR designs, unlike most railroads that ordered to broad specifications and left most design choices to the builder. The Pennsy's favorite outsourced locomotive builder was Baldwin Locomotive Works , which received its raw materials and shipped out its finished products on Pennsy lines. The two companies were headquartered in

9048-440: The rest of the main line to Trenton, New Jersey. In 1928, PRR's president William Wallace Atterbury announced plans to electrify the lines between New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Harrisburg. In January 1933, through main-line service between New York and Philadelphia/Wilmington/Paoli was placed in operation. The first test run of an electric train between Philadelphia and Washington occurred on January 28, 1935. On February 1

9152-400: The rotunda toward the Delaware River. To this portico, a number of architecturally dissimilar, unusually shaped structures have been added. These structures have been the subject of subsequent renovations to blend them with the original wing. The State House is set not on a park-like campus, as are many state houses, rather it is integrated into an urban setting along historic State Street and

9256-648: The second track was authorized by the Board on April 23, 1859. In May 1859, the New Jersey Railroad began work on the project. The second track was completed in November, completing the second track from New Brunswick to Jersey City . In June 1873, the PRR began grading the right-of-way to widen the line from two to four tracks between Rahway and Elizabeth. In September 1873, the two additional tracks were completed between Scott Street in Rahway and Linden, and grading for

9360-461: The section of eastbound track 1 between Colonia station and St. George Street in Rahway was relocated to ground level. The jump over track completed in 1914 and 1915 was abandoned. On July 3, 1930, the PRR notified officials in Elizabeth that it would abandon plans to widen the line to six tracks between "LANE" and "ELMORA" as acquiring the condemnation award for the 30-foot wide strips was $ 290,828, when

9464-524: The service from Conrail . Since that time, numerous changes to the line intended to improve New Jersey Transit service have been made. These include the following. The Morrisville Yard is used for train layups. In 2007 NJT opened a new 19-track yard on the site of the former Pennsylvania Railroad freight classification yard across the Delaware River in Morrisville, Pennsylvania . The new yard replaced

9568-478: The third track between Elizabeth and Waverly was underway. In March 1882, the PRR completed the four tracking of the line between Houtenville and South Elizabeth with the completion of a four-track bridge over the Rahway River in Rahway. On April 1, 1882, Uniontown station was renamed Iselin. On November 5, 1882, the new PX interlocking tower was placed into service at Perth Amboy Junction in Rahway. In 1885, with

9672-601: The use of the inclined planes of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. In 1857, the PRR purchased the Main Line of Public Works from the state of Pennsylvania. This purchase included 275 miles (443 km) of canal, the Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad, and the New Portage Railroad (which replaced the now abandoned Allegheny Portage Railroad). The Pennsy abandoned most of the New Portage Railroad in 1857 as it

9776-464: Was 54.5 miles (87.7 km) longer than the old route but avoided the transfer in Baltimore. The Union Railroad line opened on July 24, 1873. This route eliminated the transfer in Baltimore. Pennsy officials contracted with both the Union Railroad and the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PW&B) for access to this line. The Pennsy's New York–Washington trains began using the route

9880-588: Was approved by New Jersey Transit Rail Operations in 2013. In 2017, the New Jersey Legislature allocated $ 50 million for the project through the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund, letting the project move forward. In 2019, the Middlesex County Improvement Authority was tasked with management of the project, a first between NJT and a county. In October 2020, the project's initial funding was approved. In October 2021,

9984-537: Was assisted by the Pennsy in the form of a guarantee of $ 500,000 worth of bonds. In 1856, a controlling interest was purchased in the Cumberland Valley Railroad and the Pennsy constructed additional lines in Philadelphia. In 1857, the aforementioned Main Line of Public Works was purchased for $ 7,500,000 ($ 245 million in 2023). The Empire Transportation Company was founded in 1865 by Joseph D. Potts and became

10088-638: Was built as a major transfer hub for the New Jersey Transit system. Built where the Corridor crosses over the Main/Bergen/Port Jervis lines, the station allows passengers on Hoboken-bound trains to switch to trains to New York Penn Station, and vice versa. The station also allows for transfers to the Meadowlands Rail Line for service to MetLife Stadium . A new station along the NEC at North Brunswick

10192-548: Was in his day the largest railroad in the world, with 6,000 miles of track, and was famous for steady financial dividends, high quality construction, constantly improving equipment, technological advances (such as replacing wood fuel with coal), and innovation in management techniques for a large complex organization. The railroad's other presidents were: The Pennsylvania Railroad's board chairman/CEOs were: The railroad's vice-presidents were: The Pennsy's main line extended from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1861,

10296-415: Was itself purchased and split up in 1999 between the Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation , with Norfolk Southern getting 58 percent of the system, including nearly all of the remaining former Pennsylvania Railroad trackage. Amtrak received the electrified segment of the Main Line east of Harrisburg. The Penn Central Corporation held several non-rail assets which it continued to manage after

10400-470: Was now redundant with the Pennsylvania Railroad's own line. In 1861, the Pennsy leased the HPMtJ&L to bring the entire stretch of road between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia under its control. The Johnstown to Pittsburgh stretch of canal was abandoned in 1865 and the rest of the canals sold to the Pennsylvania Canal Company in 1866. The main line was double track from its inception, and by

10504-412: Was part of a larger project to increase capacity south of Newark Penn Station. Along with the station's two island platforms , two tracks were added for a mile east and west of the station, bringing the number of tracks on this section of the corridor to 6. This allows some NJT express and Amtrak trains to pass local trains. The station was deliberately built as a train/monorail transfer station, as there

10608-416: Was reached in 1919 when the Pennsy owned a reported 282,729 freight cars. Steel in freight car construction began during the later part of the 19th century, when cars were now being built with a steel underframe and wooden bodies or were all steel. The Pennsy steadily replaced their wooden cars with steel versions until there were no more wooden cars by 1934. During the first quarter of the 20th century,

10712-551: Was simultaneously built from Pittsburgh, eastward along the Allegheny and Conemaugh rivers to Johnstown, while the eastern end was built from Harrisburg to Altoona. In 1848, the Pennsy contracted with the Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy and Lancaster Railroad (HPMtJ&L) to buy and use equipment over both roads, providing service from Harrisburg east to Lancaster. In 1851, tracks were completed between Pittsburgh and Johnstown. In 1852,

10816-525: Was taken over by the merged Penn Central railroad and following the Penn Central's bankruptcy the commuter service was taken over by Conrail in 1976. Conrail continued to operate the line under contract to NJDOT. The state continued to fund replacement of the aging pre-war MU equipment with the Arrow II and Arrow III orders. Finally in 1983, NJ Transit, which already operated nearly all bus service in New Jersey, took over all of Conrail's commuter lines, including

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