Andover station (NJ Transit)
| Company type | Proposed NJ Transit rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Headquarters | Andover Township , United States |
| Products | Passenger rail service |
| Website | www |
Andover is a proposed New Jersey Transit passenger rail station situated in Andover Township, New Jersey, Sussex County, New Jersey, intended to serve the Lackawanna Cut-Off line. Positioned on Roseville Road, the station lies approximately from U.S. Route 206 and from County Route 517, about westward of Port Morris Junction.
The development plan features a station and platform located between the track and Roseville Road, initially offering 65 parking spaces with potential expansion to 125. The restoration of tracks connecting Port Morris to Andover was originally slated for completion in 2010 but faced postponements due to disputes concerning the station’s placement and environmental permitting issues. A resolution with a local landowner in August 2017 helped overcome critical environmental challenges, aiming for service commencement in 2020. However, further setbacks have delayed the opening to 2025, with the current target set for Fall 2026.
Serving as the line's terminus, Andover is also part of longer-term plans to extend the Lackawanna Cut-Off line westward toward Scranton.
Early history
Between 1908 and 1911, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W) built the Lackawanna Cut-Off, a level-grade rail corridor extending west from Port Morris Junction in Roxbury Township, New Jersey, to Slateford Junction near the Delaware Water Gap in Pennsylvania. Renowned for its rural scenery, substantial fills, deep rock excavations, and two prominent viaducts, this route became a scenic centerpiece of DL&W’s main line connecting Hoboken, New Jersey, to Buffalo, New York. Engineered with fewer curves, elimination of steep grades, and absence of grade crossings, it offered a faster and shorter alternative to the older Lackawanna Old Road. The construction demanded extensive use of reinforced concrete and earthmoving techniques comparable to those employed during the Panama Canal project.
Passing through Sussex County between Greendell Station and the Roseville Tunnel, the Cut-Off initially did not include service to Andover. It intersected rail lines operated by the Lehigh and Hudson River Railway and the Sussex Branch, along with crossings over U.S. Route 206 and various county roads.
Passenger operations commenced on December 24, 1911, under DL&W management until its merger with Erie Railroad in 1960. The Erie Lackawanna Railroad (EL) then controlled the line until Conrail assumed responsibility in 1976 until January 1979. The route was abandoned by 1983; tracks were dismantled in 1984. After selling the right-of-way to developers in 1985, New Jersey reacquired it in 2001.
Planning and restoration
New Jersey Transit authorized preliminary design and environmental analyses aimed at restoring transit service along the Cut-Off corridor into northwestern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania. The state finalized acquisition of the right-of-way in May 2001.
In May 2008, funding was approved by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority to reconstruct track between Andover and Port Morris Junction. Following environmental evaluations, the Federal Transit Administration issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for this segment in September 2008. Although track restoration was initially scheduled for 2010, it was postponed to early 2011 due to environmental concerns and disagreements over station location.
Track rehabilitation commenced at Port Morris in September 2011 when Norfolk Southern delivered of continuously welded rail sufficient for a single track extending to Andover. By 2021, significant clearing of the right-of-way between Port Morris and Lake Lackawanna had been completed; approximately of track had been installed across three unconnected sections west of Port Morris Junction.
New Jersey Transit intends to restore service connecting Andover with Hoboken/New York Penn Station by integrating existing lines (Montclair-Boonton and Morris & Essex) through Midtown Direct operations. Service is anticipated to launch in 2026 with phased track restoration starting with reaching Andover. Plans also include potential extensions via Amtrak toward Blairstown and stations in Pennsylvania, ultimately targeting Scranton as a terminus.
On April 13, 2022, NJ Transit authorized a $32.5 million contract covering repairs to Roseville Tunnel alongside construction of a new station at Andover, aiming for completion by late 2026.
Construction
Progress on construction was hindered by a disagreement concerning the replacement of a culvert located on private land near the intended station site. However, by August 2017, the property owner and project team reached a consensus to proceed with replacing the culvert, allowing track installation toward Andover to resume.
External links
External links
- New Jersey Transit (official homepage)
- New Jersey Transit train schedules and rail service information