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Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal
One of New Jersey's oldest railroad terminals is located in Liberty State Park in Jersey City. At the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) Terminal, visitors can step back into a time when travelers waited for trains and ferries under stately high ceilings and elegant arched windows.
Construction of the CRRNJ was completed in 1864. After Ellis Island opened in 1892, thousands of immigrants began streaming through the Terminal in Jersey City on their way to starting new lives in America. By the early 1900s, up to 50,000 people were using the CRRNJ Terminal each day.
Among other well-known passenger lines, the CRRNJ was the starting point for the "Queen of the Valley" express, which began its regular runs between Jersey City and Harrisburg, PA in 1902. The famous "Blue Comet" train brought tourists from Jersey City to Atlantic City from 1929 to 1941.
By the 1930s, the popularity of rail travel had begun to decline, with many people choosing to travel by automobile and taking advantage of the new Holland and Lincoln Tunnels. The CRRNJ ultimately ended its passenger operations in 1967. In 1975, the building and its remaining train shed (which houses 20 tracks and is the largest one ever built) were added to both the State and National Register of Historic Places. Restoration of the CRRNJ Terminal was completed in 1980, when the site re-opened to the public as a historic site.
Today, along with Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, the CRRNJ Terminal is a national tourist destination and historic treasure of the Jersey City waterfront. Visitors can purchase ferry tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, enjoy interpretive programs and movies in the Blue Comet Auditorium, and admire the New York City skyline from Liberty Walk, part of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway that will ultimately stretch from Bayonne to the George Washington Bridge.
Prior to its grand reopening in July 2007, Liberty Science Center's administrative offices will be located in the CRRNJ Terminal during the Center's renovation.
For more information, visit:
NJ Department of Environmental Protection - Liberty State Park Web Site
The Jersey Central Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
New Jersey City University - Jersey City: Past and Present Web Site Project
North East Rails (photos and history)
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