New York and Long Branch Railroad
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | April 8, 1868 |
| Defunct | 1976 |
| Fate | Merged into Conrail |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Central New Jersey |
| Parent | Jointly owned by Pennsylvania Railroad and Central Railroad of New Jersey |
The New York and Long Branch Railroad operated through central New Jersey, extending from Bay Head Junction in Bay Head to Perth Amboy. At Perth Amboy, it linked with the Central Railroad of New Jersey's Perth Amboy and Elizabethport Railroad. The railroad was co-owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ). In 1976, it became part of Conrail and today forms a segment of New Jersey Transit's North Jersey Coast Line.
Connections
Important junctions along this line included:
- Perth Amboy and Elizabethport Railroad (CNJ) at Perth Amboy, where PRR maintained trackage rights northward to its Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Railroad
- United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company (PRR) at South Amboy
- Raritan River Railroad at South Amboy
- Freehold and Atlantic Highlands Railroad (CNJ) at Matawan
- New Jersey Southern Railroad (CNJ) at Red Bank and Branchport
- Monmouth Park Railroad at Oceanport
- West End Railroad (CNJ) at West End
- Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad (PRR) at Sea Girt
- Pennsylvania and Atlantic Railroad (PRR) at Bay Head Junction, where CNJ trains reversed direction using a loop
History
The company was incorporated on April 8, 1868, with the railway from Perth Amboy to Long Branch commencing operations in 1875. On December 20, 1881, it merged several entities:
- New Egypt and Farmingdale Railroad (incorporated 1869; constructed the Long Branch to Belmar segment in 1876; planned extension to New Egypt was never completed)
- Long Branch and Sea Girt Railroad (incorporated 1875; built the line from Belmar to Sea Girt in 1876)
- New York and Long Branch Extension Railroad (incorporated 1880; established the Sea Girt to Point Pleasant section)
- Long Branch and Barnegat Bay Railroad (incorporated 1880; completed the route from Point Pleasant to Bay Head Junction in 1881)
Initially under lease by CNJ, the PRR intended to construct a parallel track. However, an agreement dated January 3, 1882, resulted in joint ownership with reciprocal trackage rights along the entire stretch. The consolidation under Conrail in 1976 brought unified management, leading to its present-day function as part of NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line.
Stations
| Milepost | Station Name |
|---|---|
| 38.6 | Perth Amboy |
| 37.1 | P.R.R. Crossing/SA/Essay Tower |
| 36.6 | South Amboy |
| 32.6 | Cliffwood |
| 31.4 | Matawan |
| 29.6 | Hazlet |
| 25.0 | Middletown |
| 21.6 | Red Bank |
| 19.3 | Little Silver |
| 16.8 | Branchport |
| 15.7 | Long Branch |
| 15.0 | Hollywood and West End |
| 13.4 | Elberon |
| 12.0 | Deal Beach |
| 11.5 | Interlaken |
| North Asbury Park | |
| 10.0 | Ocean Grove and Asbury Park |
| 8.1 | Avon and Key East |
| 7.4 | Belmar and Ocean Beach |
| Como | |
| 5.4 | Spring Lake |
| 3.9 | Sea Girt |
| 3.1 | Manasquan |
| 2.5 | Brielle |
| 1.1 | Point Pleasant |
| 0.0 | Bay Head Junction |
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Defunct New Jersey railroads
- Companies affiliated with the Pennsylvania Railroad
- Predecessors of the Central Railroad of New Jersey
- Predecessors of Conrail
- Transportation in Middlesex County, New Jersey
- Transportation in Monmouth County, New Jersey
- Transportation in Ocean County, New Jersey
- Railroads transferred to Conrail
- Railway companies established in 1868
- Railway companies disestablished in 1976