Summit station (NJ Transit)
| Company type | NJ Transit rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Headquarters | Summit, New Jersey , United States |
Area served | Summit, New Jersey and surrounding areas |
Summit serves as a train station located in Summit, New Jersey, operating on New Jersey Transit's Morris & Essex Lines, including both the Gladstone Branch and the Morristown Line. Positioned between Union Place to the north and Broad Street to the south, the station provides entry points from either direction. It is situated between Summit Avenue to the east and Maple Avenue to the west. Constructed during 1904–1905 by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad within a mile-long open cut, this facility is one of the limited NJ Transit stations featuring platforms below street level.
History
The station historically accommodated multiple passenger trains from the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and later the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, such as the Lake Cities, Owl/New York Mail, Twilight/Pocono Express, along with the prominent Phoebe Snow.
Ahead of the 2005 PGA Championship held at nearby Baltusrol Golf Club, the station underwent cosmetic improvements including repainting of fixtures and installation of digital status screens on platforms to indicate train arrivals. During this tournament, shuttle buses connected passengers from the station to the championship site.
On December 20, 2018, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy chose Summit Station as the venue to sign legislation aimed at restructuring NJ Transit’s management framework.
Station layout and services
Summit station comprises two platforms serving three tracks: Track 1 is accompanied by a side platform accessible either via an overpass or directly from the Union Place parking area; meanwhile, an island platform serves Track 2 and the Wall Track, reachable solely through the overpass.
Morning service on the Gladstone Branch begins at Gladstone Station with trains bound for Hoboken Terminal, while routes to New York Pennsylvania Station depart from Dover.
On weekends, Gladstone Branch trains operate only between Gladstone and Summit, necessitating transfers at Summit for passengers continuing eastward to New York or Hoboken via Morristown Line trains that stop at Newark Broad Street station.
Parking options include a smaller lot sloping down from Union Place and a larger facility across Summit Avenue accessible from Broad Street. In the 1990s, a multilevel parking garage was constructed on part of this Broad Street lot. Following the events of September 11, daily chalk markings were applied to tires of unattended vehicles as an identification aid.
Amenities at the station feature a waiting room with a coffee and newspaper vendor open during peak morning and evening hours.