Pascack Valley Line
| Company type | Commuter rail route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Hackensack and New York Railroad, New Jersey and New York Railroad, Erie Railroad |
| Founded | 1856 |
| Fate | Operated by NJ Transit Rail Operations; contract operation in NY by Metro-North Railroad |
| Headquarters | Hoboken , United States |
Area served | Bergen County, New Jersey; Rockland County, New York |
| Owner | NJ Transit (tracks), Metro-North Railroad (some stations in NY leased) |
| Parent | NJ Transit Rail Operations (operational control) |
| Website | www |
The Pascack Valley Line is a commuter rail route managed by the Hoboken Division of New Jersey Transit, serving areas in both New Jersey and New York. Originating at Hoboken Terminal, it travels northward through Hudson and Bergen counties in New Jersey before reaching its final stop at Spring Valley station located in Rockland County, New York. Operations within New York are conducted under a contractual agreement with Metro-North Railroad. The line derives its name from the Pascack Valley region situated in northern Bergen County and runs roughly parallel to the Pascack Brook along part of its path. On transit maps, it is represented by a purple hue accompanied by a pine tree icon.
Description
Extending between Spring Valley, New York and Hoboken Terminal, the Pascack Valley Line covers , with its northernmost stations positioned in New York State. Although the entire track is owned by NJ Transit, the stations at Pearl River, Nanuet, and Spring Valley are leased to Metro-North Railroad. The line consists predominantly of a single track but includes sidings at points such as the Meadowlands, Hackensack, and Nanuet to facilitate two-way off-peak operations. Plans for an additional siding in Oradell, aimed at enhancing service, were discontinued due to community resistance. Service runs every day of the week.
History
Initially chartered in 1856 as the Hackensack and New York Railroad, this line was later renamed the New Jersey and New York Railroad and became part of the Erie Railroad network following its acquisition in 1896. It continued as a subsidiary of Erie until the 1960 merger that created the Erie Lackawanna Railroad.
On April 1, 1976, the Erie Lackawanna was absorbed into Conrail, which operated the route until NJ Transit Rail Operations assumed control in 1983.
The line once extended beyond Spring Valley northward to Haverstraw, New York, but this section was abandoned and much of the right-of-way sold off. The stretch from Spring Valley to Nanuet formerly formed part of the main Erie Railroad corridor running from Piermont, New York to Buffalo, New York. Passenger service between Spring Valley and Suffern station on the Erie Main Line persisted into the 1930s but had been largely curtailed by 1941.
In August 2020, facing financial difficulties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority issued a warning that it might cease service on this line within Rockland County if federal financial assistance was not provided.
Route description
Similar to other Hoboken Division lines, the Pascack Valley Line primarily operates on a single track beginning at Hoboken Terminal. It passes through the Bergen Tunnels and West End Interlocking, where it diverges from lines such as the Morristown Line, Montclair-Boonton Line, and Gladstone Branch, entering zones powered by diesel locomotives. Its initial stop is at Secaucus Junction, which serves as a major transfer point linking NJ Transit’s Newark and Hoboken Divisions.
Beyond Secaucus, the line parallels the Bergen County Line through the Meadowlands area, crossing over the Hackensack River via the HX Draw bridge and passing beneath both the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 3 near Berry's Creek. At Pascack Junction, it separates from the Bergen County Line and continues through areas including East Rutherford and Sport Interlocking before proceeding on a single track toward its terminus at Spring Valley station.
The first stop after Secaucus is at Wood-Ridge station. The route bypasses Hasbrouck Heights before stopping at Teterboro station. It then crosses under U.S. Route 46 en route to Hackensack, where it passes beneath Interstate 80. Hackensack is served by two stations: Essex Street station and Anderson Street station.
Leaving Hackensack, trains pass under Route 4 to reach New Bridge Landing station. The line proceeds through suburban communities such as River Edge—with a stop at River Edge station—skips over New Milford, and stops in Oradell.
Within Pascack Valley proper, stations include those in Emerson, Westwood, and Hillsdale; however, it bypasses the former Hillsdale Manor station. The route continues through Woodcliff Lake, Park Ridge, and Montvale before crossing into Rockland County, New York. There it serves Pearl River in Orangetown and Nanuet in Clarkstown prior to crossing highways carrying Interstate 87 (I-87), Interstate 287, and the New York State Thruway. The line’s final destination is Spring Valley station.
Rolling Stock
The Pascack Valley Line operates with diesel locomotives due to its diesel-powered nature. The fleet includes models such as the GP40PH-2, GP40FH-2, F40PH-3C, PL42AC, and ALP-45DP. Typically, trains are composed mainly of Comet V cars, often accompanied by Multilevel coaches.
September 2016 crash
On September 29, 2016, Train 1614 of the Pascack Valley Line collided with Hoboken Terminal, resulting in 108 injuries and one fatality. An investigation revealed that the engineer, Thomas Gallagher, suffered from untreated sleep apnea which he had not disclosed.
Stations
| State | Zone | Location | Station | Milepost (km) | Date opened | Date closed | Connections |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | 1 | Hoboken | Hoboken Terminal Template:NJT acc | 0.0 (0.0) | 1903 | Template:Rint NJ Transit Rail: Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb Template:Ric: Template:Rcb Template:Rint Hudson–Bergen Light Rail: Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb Template:Ric: Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb Template:Bus icon NJ Transit Bus Template:Rint NY Waterway to Battery Park City Ferry Terminal | |
| Secaucus | Secaucus Junction Template:NJT acc | 3.5 (5.6) | December 15, 2003 | Template:Rint NJ Transit Rail (upper level): Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb Template:Rint NJ Transit Rail (lower level): Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb, Template:Rcb Template:Ric: Template:Rcb Template:Bus icon NJ Transit Bus |
| Zone | Location | Station | Milepost (km) | Date opened | Date closed | Connections |
|---|
| State | Location | Station | Milepost (km) | Date opened | Connections |
|---|
Bibliography
External links
- Articles with short description
- Erie Railroad lines
- Metro-North Railroad
- NJ Transit Rail Operations
- Pascack Valley
- Rail infrastructure in New Jersey
- Rail infrastructure in New York (state)
- Transportation in Bergen County, New Jersey
- Transportation in Rockland County, New York
- Rail lines in Rockland County, New York