Paterson and Hudson River Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad transportation |
| Founded | 1833 |
| Defunct | 1852 |
| Fate | Rights acquired by New York and Erie Railroad; became part of Union Railroad |
| Headquarters | Jersey City, New Jersey , United States |
Area served | New Jersey, United States |
The Paterson and Hudson River Railroad was a transportation line in New Jersey that linked Jersey City with the southeastern area of Paterson. Established in 1833, it holds the distinction of being the first railroad in the United States to incorporate movable bridges for railway crossings over both the Passaic River and Hackensack River.
At the outset, the railroad utilized horse-drawn carriages before transitioning to steam power with the arrival of the locomotive McNeil, which was produced by Robert Stephenson and Company and assembled by Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works.
The importance of this railroad increased following the development of the Paterson and Ramapo Railroad, which connected northern Paterson to Suffern, New York. This link provided a quicker route between Suffern and New York City than that offered by the New York and Erie Railroad. Over time, these railroads were consolidated. In 1852, the New York and Erie Railroad secured track usage rights from both companies, creating what was known as the "Union Railroad," which served as its principal line; Erie assumed complete control in 1953.
Among the primary early stops located west of Bergen Junction were "Germantown," "Hackensack" near what is now Secaucus Junction, and "Boiling Spring," corresponding to present-day Rutherford station.