Aberdeen–Matawan station

Aberdeen–Matawan station

Company type	NJ Transit rail station
Industry	Transportation
Founded	July 1, 1875 (1875-07-01)
Headquarters	Aberdeen and Matawan , United States
Area served	Monmouth County, New Jersey
Products	Commuter rail service

Aberdeen–Matawan serves as a stop on the North Jersey Coast Line operated by NJ Transit, located within the boundaries of both Aberdeen and Matawan in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. Positioned conveniently close to Route 35 and the PNC Bank Arts Center, this station caters to daily commuters as well as attendees of events, ranking as the most frequented station along the line between Bay Head and Rahway.

Situated at street level on Atlantic Avenue at the dividing line between Aberdeen and Matawan, the facility includes two elevated side platforms currently in use, alongside two disused low side platforms, and accommodates two tracks. A staffed ticket office is available on the platform serving trains bound for New York City. Every train running on the North Jersey Coast Line makes a scheduled stop here. The remnants of the former Freehold Branch can still be observed within a parking area located southeast of the station.

History

Originally constructed by the New York and Long Branch Railroad, the station was long referred to simply as Matawan, with its primary station building and main platform situated within Matawan itself, while an additional platform and extensive parking facilities were located across the border in Aberdeen.

The initial station structure commenced operations on July 1, 1875, serving as a provisional stop for scheduled services. It was notably the inaugural station along this rail line and was built at an estimated cost ranging from $4,000 to $6,000. In 1982, this original edifice was replaced by a modest single-story building positioned on the north side of the tracks to better accommodate morning passengers traveling to New York City. The following year, in 1983, electrification was extended under New Jersey Transit from South Amboy to this station. Recognition of its historical significance came in 1984 when the original building was added to both the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Operating Passenger Railroad Stations thematic grouping.

Throughout renovations conducted in the 1990s, new main platforms and a stationhouse were constructed on Aberdeen’s side of Atlantic Avenue. Although NJ Transit contemplated renaming the facility to Aberdeen, officials from Matawan opposed this due to their community’s strong association with commuter rail service. Consequently, a combined name, Aberdeen-Matawan, was adopted. All three historic station buildings have been preserved to date.

In 2003, this location received designation as a Transit Village by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Redevelopment efforts commenced in August 2016. Subsequently, in October 2018, "The Link at Aberdeen Station," a mixed-use complex replacing the former Zobel paint factory site, opened adjacent to the station on Aberdeen’s side. By late 2023, construction began on "Matawan Junction," another mixed-use development situated two blocks from the existing station on land that had remained vacant since 1984.

See also

• List of NJ Transit stations
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Monmouth County, New Jersey

External links

• Aberdeen-Matawan New Jersey Transit Station (The Subway Nut)