Somerville station explained

Somerville
Style:NJ Transit
Coordinates:40.5661°N -74.6141°W
Line:Raritan Valley Line
Other:NJ Transit Bus
Platform:2 side platforms
Tracks:2
Parking:Monthly or daily
Passengers:677 (average weekday)[1]
Pass Year:2012
Opened:January 1, 1842[2]
Rebuilt:November 28, 1856
May 1867
September 1889 - November 18, 1890[3] [4]
Accessible:Yes
Zone:17[5]
Other Services Header:Former services
Other Services Collapsible:yes
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Line:none
Marker:rail
Zoom:12

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

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 .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.[6] The historic station depot is being kept.[7]

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 serving two tracks. Both are long and can accommodate eight cars.[8]

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: QUARTERLY RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANALYSIS . New Jersey Transit . December 31, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130419042253/http://media.nj.com/bergen_impact/other/1Q2013.pdf . April 19, 2013 . dead .
  2. News: Original Route of New Jersey Central Railroad Followed Old Post Road Between Plainfield, Elizabethport, Historian Says. March 27, 2018. The Plainfield Courier-News. December 31, 1938. 7. Newspapers.com.
  3. News: Jottings . July 28, 2019 . The Plainfield Evening News . September 21, 1889 . 1. Newspapers.com.
  4. News: Somerville Improvements . July 28, 2019 . The Plainfield Evening News . November 18, 1890 . 1. Newspapers.com.
  5. Web site: Raritan Valley Line Timetables. New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. November 27, 2010. November 7, 2010. Newark, New Jersey. November 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161107152229/http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/R0060.pdf. dead.
  6. News: Somerville Station: New High-Level Platforms Open Tuesday, December 7. December 2010. New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. December 7, 2010. Newark, New Jersey.
  7. New Jersey Transit . March 27, 2009 . NJ Transit Begins Reconstruction of Somerville Station . February 14, 2010.
  8. Web site: July 2020 . RARITAN VALLEY LINE ONE-SEAT RIDE SERVICE TO MANHATTAN . 2023-06-08 . 76; 81.