Denville station
| Company type | Commuter railroad station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1848 |
| Headquarters | Denville Township , United States |
| Products | Passenger rail service (NJ Transit Morristown Line and Montclair–Boonton Line) |
Denville serves as a functioning commuter railroad train station situated in Denville Township, within Morris County, New Jersey. Positioned along Estling Road, the station is equipped with three side platforms: two curved low-level platforms dedicated to NJ Transit's Morristown Line, plus an additional platform for the Montclair–Boonton Line. Both Morristown Line platforms incorporate miniature high-level sections to accommodate accessibility needs. Trains on these lines operate between Hoboken Terminal, New York Penn Station, and Hackettstown. Traveling westbound, the subsequent stop is Dover; heading eastbound, the Morristown Line proceeds to Mount Tabor, while the Montclair–Boonton Line continues to Mountain Lakes.
Rail operations in Denville commenced with the Morris and Essex Railroad’s extension from Morristown to Rockaway on July 4, 1848, followed by an expansion reaching Dover 27 days later. Initially, the line passed directly north of today’s station through Rockaway Township, situating the original Denville depot along Route 53 rather than its current site. The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad introduced its freight-exclusive Boonton Branch on September 5, 1867.
In 1903, the railroad transformed the intersection between the Morris and Essex Railroad and Boonton Branch into a wye configuration and erected a new wooden station house within this junction. The route via Rockaway was relegated to branch status before service ceased entirely on October 18, 1948. Electrification reached the line on January 22, 1931, facilitating travel between Dover and Hoboken through Morristown. A fire destroyed the station building on September 21, 1991.
History
Prior to electrifying the Morristown Line in the 1930s, trains crossed over the Boonton Branch near Denville Tower and continued northwestward toward Rockaway before turning southwest to Dover. The electrification initiative shifted the Morristown line westward to merge with the Boonton line at their present junction. Following this change, service between Denville and Rockaway was significantly reduced and ultimately discontinued on October 18, 1948. Part of this former rail corridor now accommodates Interstate 80. Although the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office considered nominating the station building for inclusion on the State Register of Historic Places, it was demolished in 1992 after being damaged by fire in 1991. The Denville Interlocking Tower remains qualified for listing on both State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Station layout
At Denville, the Montclair–Boonton Line operates on a single track with a low-level side platform that serves inbound trains during morning peak hours and outbound trains in the evening. The Morristown Line consists of two tracks, each accompanied by mini-high and low-level side platforms. These three tracks merge into two shortly west of the station.