Port Morris Junction
| Company type | Rail junction and rail yard |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1911 |
| Headquarters | Port Morris, Roxbury Township, New Jersey , United States |
Area served | New Jersey, United States |
| Products | Rail connections between Montclair-Boonton Line and Lackawanna Cut-Off |
Port Morris Junction serves as the rail connection linking NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line with the Lackawanna Cut-Off. Established in 1911 by the Lackawanna Railroad, this junction is situated within the Port Morris, New Jersey area of Roxbury Township, New Jersey, just south of Lake Hopatcong.
History
Rail operations commenced in the 1850s, and subsequently, the Lackawanna Railroad developed a rail yard positioned east of the Morris Canal. Initially, this facility functioned primarily to transfer coal from railroad cars onto canal barges. As the canal's usage diminished—ultimately ceasing operations in 1924—the yard transitioned to mainly storing freight cars by the early 1900s. The presence of this yard played a key role in selecting Port Morris as the starting point for the Cut-Off, designed to reduce travel duration between New York City and Buffalo, New York.
Port Morris Tower began operations on December 23, 1911, with the inaugural Cut-Off train passing shortly after midnight. Control of the junction remained with Lackawanna until 1960, then shifted to Erie Lackawanna until 1976, and subsequently to Conrail until the tower's closure in 1979. Conrail discontinued use of the Cut-Off in 1983 and dismantled tracks at the junction a year later.
In 1983, NJ Transit assumed responsibility for commuter rail services including those at Port Morris. During the late 1980s, NJ Transit established a rail yard at this location. The 1990s saw construction of a commuter yard at Port Morris which enabled weekday morning eastbound departures originating from Hackettstown, Mount Olive, Netcong, or Lake Hopatcong directly out of this facility rather than Dover. These trains continue onward to Denville before proceeding to Hoboken via either the Morristown or Montclair-Boonton Lines, providing connections to New York City. Westbound trips follow this route in reverse order. (As of 2018, no weekend service operated west of Dover.)
Plans are underway to rebuild the junction and reinstall tracks on the Cut-Off to support commuter trains traveling northwest to Andover. Future expansions may extend service further to Scranton, Pennsylvania, located at a greater distance. In 2021, Amtrak incorporated a proposed New York City–Scranton route via the Lackawanna Cut-Off into its map of upcoming rail corridors.
See also
- North Jersey Rail Commuter Association
References
- The Lackawanna Railroad in Northwestern New Jersey by Larry Lowenthal and William T. Greenberg, Jr., Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Inc., 1987.
- Farewell to the Lackawanna Cut-Off (Parts I-IV), by Don Dorflinger, published in the Block Line, Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Inc., 1984–1985.