Central Railroad of New Jersey

Central Railroad of New Jersey
Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1830s
Defunct	April 1, 1976
Fate	Merged into Conrail; passenger services transferred to New Jersey Department of Transportation
Headquarters	Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Area served	Northeastern United States (New Jersey, Pennsylvania)
Products	Freight and passenger rail services

The Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ), often referred to as the Jersey Central or New Jersey Central, was a Class I railroad founded during the 1830s. It became part of Conrail in April 1976, along with other failing railroads in the Northeastern United States.

CNJ's principal route was a dominant feature of New Jersey's rail infrastructure. Today, much of this corridor serves the Raritan Valley Line commuter rail, while CNJ tracks in Phillipsburg, New Jersey were integrated into the Lehigh Line following Conrail's formation.

19th century

The CNJ traces its origins to the Elizabethtown & Somerville Railroad, established in 1831 and commencing operations between Elizabethport and Elizabeth by 1836. By 1839, steam locomotives had replaced horse-drawn power, and by 1842, the line extended westward to Somerville. The Somerville and Easton Railroad was formed in 1847 and took over the Elizabethtown & Somerville Railroad in 1849, adopting the name Central Railroad Company of New Jersey. By 1852, the line reached Phillipsburg on the Delaware River and had expanded eastward to Jersey City by 1864, gradually acquiring branch lines to Flemington, Newark, Perth Amboy, Chester, and Wharton.

The New Jersey Southern (NJS) began operations in 1860 from Port Monmouth and expanded southwest through southern New Jersey to Bayside by 1871. CNJ gained control of NJS in 1879. Additionally, CNJ briefly extended its reach across the Delaware River through the Baltimore & Delaware Bay Railroad, which eventually became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system.

In Pennsylvania, CNJ’s operations originated from the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company’s construction of the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad (L&S), connecting Phillipsburg and Wilkes-Barre by 1866. A notable feature was the Ashley Planes—a steep incline operated via cable mechanisms—that remained functional until after World War II. CNJ leased L&S in 1871 and expanded service to Scranton by 1888 through a subsidiary. These routes primarily transported anthracite coal until regulations under the Interstate Commerce Act of 1920 prohibited railroads from shipping commodities they owned.

From 1883 to 1887, the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad leased and operated CNJ, creating a continuous rail link between New York and Philadelphia before CNJ resumed independent control following reorganization.

CNJ’s main repair facilities were situated in Elizabethport on Trumbull Avenue. Reconstructed in 1901 with concrete buildings capable of servicing up to 430 locomotives and 20,000 freight cars annually, these shops supported both freight and passenger services focused on Jersey City. The Communipaw terminal was upgraded in 1914 with two roundhouses and light repair shops to meet ongoing maintenance demands.

20th century

In 1901, control of CNJ shifted when the Reading Company (RDG), successor to Philadelphia & Reading, acquired a majority stake. Around this period, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) gained control over RDG, thereby securing access to New York via RDG and CNJ lines.

The year 1929 saw CNJ introduce the Blue Comet, an upscale coach train running twice daily between Jersey City and Atlantic City. Known for its striking blue paint scheme and refurbished cars offering enhanced comfort, it set a precedent for later streamlined coach trains of the late 1930s and ’40s. However, competition from automobiles led to its discontinuation in 1941. That same year, CNJ acquired a 30% interest in the Raritan River Railroad, a short line operating between South Amboy and New Brunswick. In addition, it fully purchased the Wharton & Northern Railroad and obtained partial ownership of the Mount Hope Mineral Railroad in 1931.

Following World War II, passenger ridership on CNJ declined significantly, evolving into predominantly commuter traffic with peak periods requiring substantial rolling stock availability. Freight operations were largely confined to terminal areas, limiting profitability. Furthermore, substantial state taxes imposed by New Jersey further eroded revenue streams.

To alleviate tax burdens from New Jersey authorities, CNJ reorganized its Pennsylvania operations into the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania (CRP) in 1946 but resumed direct operation by 1952. CRP maintained ownership over a four-mile track segment located in Easton, Pennsylvania.

A proposed merger in 1965 involving the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and Norfolk and Western Railway, aimed at countering a major PRR-New York Central consolidation, included CNJ but was ultimately derailed due to Penn Central’s bankruptcy. Efforts to reorganize CNJ failed amid widespread regional railroad failures. Freight services transitioned to Conrail on April 1, 1976; passenger routes were transferred to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, now operated under New Jersey Transit Rail Operations, including lines such as the North Jersey Coast Line and Raritan Valley Line.

After abandonment of the Lehigh and New England Railroad in 1961, CNJ acquired certain branches under that name. In 1963, Lehigh Coal & Navigation sold its railroad holdings to RDG while CNJ continued leasing operations.

Starting in 1964, New Jersey began subsidizing commuter rail service; tax reforms followed three years later. In 1965, CNJ collaborated with Lehigh Valley Railroad to consolidate Pennsylvania routes along the Lehigh River, abandoning redundant sections due to declining anthracite coal shipments. CNJ ceased all Pennsylvania operations on March 31, 1972.

CNJ operated a modest carfloat terminal located in The Bronx, notable for early adoption of Class I diesel locomotives. The company also maintained extensive marine operations on New York Bay, including ferry service connecting Sandy Hook.

On April 30, 1967, CNJ ended its final marine route—the ferry between Manhattan and its terminal at Jersey City—leading to closure of that terminal. Subsequent passenger trains utilized Newark’s PRR station via the Aldene Connection, providing transfer options to PRR or PATH trains.

The Bayonne "Scoot" commuter service was discontinued on August 6, 1978; subsequently, the CRRNJ Newark Bay Bridge was abandoned and dismantled by mid-1980.

Emerging from bankruptcy proceedings in 1979 as Central Jersey Industries (CJI Industries), CNJ later merged with packaging company Triangle Industries in 1986 under ownership of businessman Nelson Peltz.

Primary original routes

The northeastern endpoint of CNJ was located at Elizabethport, New Jersey. In 1864, CNJ expanded its rail line across the bay reaching Bayonne and further extending north to Jersey City. This expansion involved constructing multiple bridges over time, with the final structure being the Newark Bay Bridge, which was taken down during the 1980s.

From Elizabethport, one route stretched westward and southwest through Elizabeth and Plainfield, while another extended south toward Perth Amboy and what is now recognized as the North Jersey Coast Line, serving southern New Jersey markets. CNJ collaborated with the RDG to run trains into Pennsylvania and other western or southern locations. Additionally, the B&O Railroad utilized CNJ's tracks for its last-mile access to Jersey City.

Segments currently in use

Aldene-High Bridge (Main Line): Operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) on the Raritan Valley Line
Jersey City-Bayonne (Main Line and Newark and New York Branch): Served by NJT's Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
Perth Amboy-Bay Head: Managed by NJT on the North Jersey Coast Line
Elizabethport-Aldene; Elizabethport-Perth Amboy; Red Bank-Lakehurst: Run by Conrail Shared Assets Operations
Lakehurst-Woodmansie: Operated by Cape May Seashore Lines
Winslow Junction - Vineland, NJ: Managed by Southern Railroad of New Jersey – Mostly abandoned or dismantled following 2003 damage; a surviving section of CNJ Southern Division Main line.
Dover & Rockaway Branch (Wharton-Rockaway); High Bridge Branch (Kenvil-Flanders): Operated by Morristown & Erie Railway
White Haven PA - Laurel Run PA: Managed by Reading Blue Mountain and Northern – A vestige of joint operation with Lehigh Valley after 1965
Vineland - Bridgeton, NJ: Operated by Winchester and Western Railroad – A remaining segment of CNJ Southern Division Main line.
Bridgeton - Port Norris, NJ: Operated by Winchester and Western Railroad – The Bridgeton-Bivalve branch is partially removed east of Whitehead Rd; the rest remains functional.

Predecessor railroads

Buena Vista Railroad
Carteret & Sewaren Railroad
Carteret Extension Railroad
Cumberland & Maurice River Railroad
Cumberland & Maurice River Extension Railroad
Elizabeth Extension Railroad
Freehold & Atlantic Highlands Railroad
Lafayette Railroad
Manufacturers' Extension Railroad
Middle Brook Railroad
New Jersey Terminal Railroad
New Jersey Southern Railroad
Navesink Railroad
Passaic River Extension Railroad
Raritan North Shore Railroad
Sound Shore Railroad
Toms River Railroad
Toms River & Barnegat Railroad
Vineland Railroad
Vineland Branch Railway
West Side Connecting Railroad
West End Railroad

Designated passenger trains

CNJ ran several notable interstate passenger services:

Blue Comet: Operating between Jersey City and Atlantic City, New Jersey
Bullet: Connecting Jersey City with Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania via Allentown, Pennsylvania
Crusader: Linking Jersey City to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (in cooperation with RDG)
Interstate Express: Running from Syracuse, New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (jointly operated with Delaware, Lackawanna & Western and RDG)
Mermaid: Traveling between Sandy Hook, New Jersey and Scranton, Pennsylvania
Queen of the Valley: Service from Jersey City to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (with RDG)
Wall Street: Connecting Jersey City to Philadelphia (in partnership with RDG)
Williamsporter: Operating between Jersey City and Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Several non-CNJ trains also utilized CNJ’s tracks north of Bound Brook en route to the Jersey City terminal:

Capitol Limited: Running from Jersey City to Chicago, Illinois (B&O)
National Limited: Linking Jersey City with St. Louis, Missouri (B&O)
Royal Blue: Operating between Jersey City and Washington, D.C. (B&O)

Heritage units

To celebrate its 30th year in 2012, Norfolk Southern adorned 20 locomotives with paint schemes reflecting those of its predecessor railroads. Among them, NS #1071, an EMD SD70ACe, showcased the distinctive orange and blue colors of the CNJ.

In 2019, NJ Transit applied a heritage paint design to locomotive 4109, drawing inspiration from the classic CNJ GP40P livery.