Fairmount Avenue station

Fairmount Avenue station

Company type	Former commuter rail station
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1870
Fate	Service ended in 1983; station building repurposed
Headquarters	Hackensack, New Jersey , United States
Area served	Pascack Valley Line
Products	Passenger rail service

Fairmount Avenue was once a rail stop on the Pascack Valley Line operated by New Jersey Transit. It was one of three stations located in Hackensack, New Jersey, positioned at the junction of Fairmount Avenue and Temple Avenue, alongside the Essex Street and Anderson Street stops. The station building originated in 1870 during the Hackensack and New York Railroad expansion from Anderson Street. In 1896, the line became part of the Erie Railroad network and remained under New Jersey Transit management until service ended in 1983.

Hackensack and New York Railroad

The inception of Fairmount Avenue station dates back to 1856 when David P. Patterson of Hillsdale and other local backers incorporated the Hackensack and New York Railroad, intending to create a steam railroad through the Pascack Valley with ambitions to extend northward. Construction commenced in 1866 on a 21-mile route stretching from New York City to Hackensack’s Passaic Street station. Although Hackensack was not a primary rail hub, it was served by several lines, including the New Jersey Midland Line (currently the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad), which stopped at Main Street and Prospect Avenue.

By the 1860s, rail service had reached Essex Street. Initially, most trains terminated at Passaic Street until September 5, 1869, when Anderson Street became the new endpoint. By 1870, tracks extended to Hillsdale, with passenger operations commencing on March 4. The fare at that time was $0.75 (1870 USD). Within a year, service continued further north to Haverstraw, New York. The line was leased to the Erie Railroad in 1896.

Erie Railroad and station discontinuance

After the New Jersey and New York Railroad was leased by the Erie Railroad, Fairmount Avenue station experienced little alteration over the following seven decades. By 1966, the Erie Railroad had sold the station building for commercial use as Barbara's General Store and Gifts. The team track had been removed, leaving only the main southbound track and a partial yard beside the platform. The structure was painted orange with white window trims. As the northernmost of Hackensack’s three stations, it remained operational until 1976 when Conrail took over following the Erie Lackawanna merger. By 1980, under joint ownership of Conrail and New Jersey Transit, Fairmount Avenue was still listed on the line but was omitted from timetables by 1982. The original building still stands today in its distinctive orange-and-white color scheme and now functions as a donut shop.

Station layout and services

Located at Fairmount Avenue and Temple Avenue within Hackensack’s Fairmount Park, Fairmount Avenue station featured a beige wooden building topped with a shingled roof and an expansive angled canopy. Access to the station was from Temple Avenue where crossing gates were installed. The facility included a single asphalt platform serving three tracks: two mainline tracks (including a northbound track) plus an adjacent team track, with a third track serving as a partial freight yard. Nearby stood a stone interlocking tower at Main Street intersection. The canopy design mirrored that of Newark’s 4th Street station, with green window frames complementing the beige siding. Parking options included a large lot separated by tracks as well as a smaller gravel lot located to the south.