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Morris and Essex Railroad

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Morris and Essex Railroad
Company typeRailroad
IndustryRail transport
FoundedJanuary 29, 1835; 191 years ago (1835-01-29)
FateMerged into Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (1945)
SuccessorDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Headquarters
Newark, New Jersey
,
United States
Area served
Northern New Jersey

The Morris and Essex Railroad served as a significant rail corridor traversing northern New Jersey and was eventually incorporated into the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.

History

Established on January 29, 1835, the M&E constructed a rail link stretching westward from Newark, New Jersey to Morristown, New Jersey. The initial section, connecting Newark to Orange, New Jersey, commenced operations on November 19, 1836. Through an arrangement with the New Jersey Rail Road, passengers gained access eastward to Jersey City, New Jersey via the Bergen Hill Cut. Early connections were centered in downtown Newark; service to the Paulus Hook ferry terminal began on October 14, 1836, facilitating transfers to Manhattan by ferry.

By January 1, 1838, the railroad had extended its tracks to Morristown. Later that year in October, the NJRR connection shifted to Centre Street, which by 1843 allowed horse-drawn carriages to eliminate street running along Broad Street.

Expansion continued westward with the line reaching Dover, New Jersey in 1848, then extending to Hackettstown, New Jersey by 1854, and finally arriving at Phillipsburg, New Jersey in 1866.

A new route featuring a bridge over the Passaic River was inaugurated on August 5, 1854 at East Newark Junction where it met the NJRR main line in Harrison. This development removed street-level tracks from downtown Newark following legal disputes.

In March 1857, M&E received authorization to acquire the newly constructed NJRR alignment and to build a tunnel beneath Bergen Hill to access Jersey City directly. This move positioned M&E as a rival to NJRR and initiated talks with the Camden and Amboy Railroad. The proposed New Brunswick, Millburn and Orange Railroad aimed to connect these lines providing an alternate path to Jersey City.

The Hoboken Land and Improvement Company operated a ferry across the Hudson River between Hoboken and New York City. To support M&E’s new routing utilizing the New York and Erie Railroad's Long Dock Tunnel, a charter amendment was approved in March 1860 despite opposition from NJRR. Subsequently, NJRR’s bridge monopoly was overturned in 1861. The first excursion along this alignment took place on November 14, 1862; regular passenger service commenced on October 14, 1863.

On November 1, 1865, the Atlantic and Great Western Railway leased M&E aiming for westward expansion; however, bankruptcy ended this lease by 1867. The DL&W then leased M&E on December 10, 1868, connecting it with their Warren Railroad at Washington.

Also in 1868, M&E leased the Newark and Bloomfield Railroad, linking Roseville Avenue with Bloomfield and Montclair.

Following disputes regarding connections involving the Boonton Branch freight bypass, the Bergen Hill tunnel opened in 1876.

The DL&W developed the New Jersey Cut-Off—a low-grade bypass—in northwestern New Jersey; it was completed in 1911 providing a direct route from Port Morris westward into Pennsylvania.

On July 26, 1945, M&E was formally merged into DL&W but continued operating under the name Morris and Essex Division. Presently known as the Morris and Essex Lines under New Jersey Transit, this route has maintained its legacy. The DL&W merged with Erie Railroad in 1960 forming Erie-Lackawanna Railroad; this entity later became part of Conrail in 1976.

Stations

  1. New York (Foot of Barclay Street)
  2. New York (Foot of Christopher Street) (ferry)
  3. Hoboken (MP 1.25) (ferry)
  4. West End (MP 3.25)
  5. Seaboard (MP 5)
  6. Kearny Junction (MP 7.0)
  7. Harrison (MP 9)
  8. Newark (MP 10) – Junction Newark and Bloomfield Railway
  9. Roseville Avenue, Newark (MP 11.0)
  10. East Orange (MP 12)
  11. Brick Church (MP 13)
  12. Orange (MP 13)
  13. Highland Avenue, Orange (MP 14)
  14. Mountain Station, South Orange (MP 15)
  15. South Orange (MP 16)
  16. Maplewood (MP 17)
  17. Millburn (MP 19)
  18. Short Hills (MP 20)
  19. Summit (MP 22)
  20. Chatham (MP 26)
  21. Madison (MP 28)
  22. Convent (MP 30)
  23. Morristown (MP 32) – Junction with Morristown & Erie Railway
  24. Morris Plains (MP 34)
  25. Mount Tabor (MP 38)
  26. Denville (MP 38) – Junction with Boonton Branch
  27. Rockaway (MP 40)
  28. Dover (MP 43)
  29. Wharton (MP 44)
  30. Chester Junction (MP 45) – Junction with Chester Railroad
  31. Lake Junction (MP 45) – Junction with Central Railroad of New Jersey
  32. Mount Arlington (MP 47)
  33. Drakesville (MP 48)
  34. Lake Hopatcong (MP 49)
  35. Port Morris Junction (MP 50)
  36. Port Morris (MP 51)
  37. Sussex Branch Junction (MP 53)
  38. Netcong/Stanhope (MP 53)
  39. Waterloo Village (MP 56) – Junction with Sussex Railroad of New Jersey
  40. Hackettstown (MP 62)
  41. Port Murray (MP 67)
  42. Washington (MP 71) – Junction with Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
  43. Broadway (MP 76)
  44. Stewartsville (MP 80)
  45. Phillipsburg Union Station (MP 85)
  46. Easton (MP 85) – Junction with Lehigh Valley Railroad, Central Railroad of New Jersey, and Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad

Branches

Boonton

Originally constructed as a short route from Denville heading east to Boonton, the Boonton Branch was later extended eastward toward Paterson and southward to reconnect with the main line at Bergen Hill in 1870. A realignment on the western end bypassed Denville and some curves, resulting in a reduction of length for both the branch and the main line. The Kingsland Tunnel, inaugurated in 1903, was part of a track realignment at Kingsland. In the 1920s, the Harrison Cut-off was constructed to link the Boonton Branch at Kingsland directly south to the main line at Kearny.

Paterson

The Morris and Essex Extension Railroad, authorized and opened in 1889, established a connection between the Boonton Branch and Paterson.

Montclair

Chartered in 1852 and commencing operations in 1855, the Newark and Bloomfield Railroad stretched northwest from the main line at Roseville Avenue/Bloomfield Junction to Montclair, passing through Bloomfield. Primarily constructed by the M&E, it was leased by them beginning April 1, 1868.

Gladstone

The Gladstone Branch represents the sole completed portion of the unsuccessful New Jersey West Line Railroad, running westward from Summit to Bernardsville. This segment was later renamed the Passaic and Delaware Railroad. Leased by the DL&W on November 1, 1882 as an extension of the M&E, it was further extended to Gladstone in 1890 through the Passaic and Delaware Extension Railroad.

Morris Plains
Chester

Incorporated in 1867 and opened in 1872, the Chester Railroad ran southwest from the M&E west of Dover to reach Chester.

Hopatcong

The brief Hopatcong Railroad branched off north from the M&E at Hopatcong heading toward Roxbury. It was acquired by DL&W in 1892.

Sussex

Extending north from the M&E at Waterloo (later known as Stanhope) to Newton and beyond, the Sussex Railroad was leased by DL&W in 1924.

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