Lyons station

Lyons station

Company type	NJ Transit rail station
Industry	Transportation
Founded	1931
Headquarters	Basking Ridge , United States
Products	Rail transport services

Lyons is a New Jersey Transit stop situated in Basking Ridge, New Jersey along the Gladstone Branch of the Morris & Essex Lines. This station caters to the southern part of Basking Ridge, the Hills area, and Liberty Corner.

History

Constructed in 1931 by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, Lyons station was established to align with the electrification of the line and to serve the nearby Lyons VA Medical Center, which had opened a year earlier in 1930. It holds the distinction of being the final station built by the DL&W within New Jersey and was their penultimate station overall, with only the 1941 Syracuse, New York station following it. Positioned on the track’s northern side, the single-story structure incorporates elements of Tudor Revival and Mission Revival design. The depot was likely designed by DL&W architect D.T. Mack or his associates, utilizing brick and stucco materials accented with limestone trim and featuring carved rosette decorations at the gable ends. Freight doors are located on the building’s right side, and a brass ornamental arch adorns the western end of the platform. In 1984, this station was recognized for its historical significance by being 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 Resource.

Bernards Township received a grant totaling $103,000 in 2014 aimed at repointing masonry and making structural repairs to preserve the station building. A subsequent grant awarded in November 2015 from the Somerset County Historic Preservation Commission provided $96,580 for restoration efforts focused on both the depot and its canopy. On December 29, 2015, Daniel W. Lincoln from Bernardsville secured an $11,350 contract to oversee canopy design and construction services; restoration activities commenced in January 2016. By late 2017, work included removing cream-colored paint from the exterior to expose original brick and stucco surfaces, followed by application of a new stucco layer completed in June 2018.

Station layout

This station consists of a single side platform, mostly low-level, complemented by a mini-high platform section with an access ramp at its eastern extremity to accommodate passengers with disabilities—making Lyons one of only a few stations on the Gladstone Branch that offer handicap accessibility. The station building is open on weekdays from 5:05 AM until 1:05 PM, with a brief closure period between 9:50 AM and 10:20 AM daily. Adjacent to the building are two Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) alongside bicycle racks. Nearby, an outdoor shelter provides seating for waiting passengers. Railroad crossings located at both ends of the platform allow access to an additional parking area situated further from the station. The parking lot adjacent to the platform contains 95 spaces and is municipally owned with permit-only parking. A larger lot farther away offers 236 spaces managed by Park America, accommodating both daily users and permit holders.

See also

• List of New Jersey Transit stations

External links

• Station from Google Maps Street View