Walter Rand Transportation Center

Walter Rand Transportation Center
Company type	Transit facility
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1908
Headquarters	Camden, United States
Area served	Camden, New Jersey
Products	Rail and bus transit services

The Walter Rand Transportation Center functions as a major transit facility situated at the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Broadway in Camden, New Jersey. It accommodates the River Line, NJ Transit bus services, and Greyhound intercity buses, while also hosting the Broadway station on the PATCO Speedline.

History

The Broadway station was inaugurated by the Pennsylvania Railroad on October 8, 1908, coinciding with the elevation of its rail line through downtown Camden. This development replaced a nearby stop located at Haddon Avenue. The station was also utilized by the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad. Following the establishment of the joint Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1933, services formerly operated by the Atlantic City Railroad began to call at Broadway.

Selected as the eastern endpoint of the Bridge Line, Broadway connected Camden to Philadelphia via a rapid transit link. To accommodate this, new underground platforms were built beneath the existing structure, with operations commencing on June 7, 1936. After the Pennsylvania Railroad discontinued its ferry service between Philadelphia and Camden on March 31, 1952, Broadway became the western terminus for Camden-bound trains. The station underwent expansion during this period, including installation of an escalator leading to elevated platforms.

Significant transformations occurred in the mid-1960s due to the introduction of the PATCO Speedline. On January 16, 1966, the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines ceased operations on its main route between Camden and West Haddonfield; Atlantic City-bound trains rerouted to terminate at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, bypassing Camden entirely. Services along the Pennsylvania's Pemberton Branch and PRSL's Millville Branch persisted until October 3, when they were relocated to a newly established station at 12th and Federal.

The Bridge Line was temporarily closed on December 28, 1968, for conversion into the PATCO Speedline system and reopened shortly after on January 4, 1969, with Broadway station included in the new service.

The surface-level bus transfer facility opened on May 17, 1989 under the name Camden Transportation Center and was renamed in honor of Walter Rand, a former New Jersey State Senator recognized for his contributions to transportation, in 1994. The River Line service commenced operations on March 15, 2004.

Broadway is designated as the northern terminus for the upcoming Glassboro–Camden Line, a proposed diesel multiple unit (DMU) light rail project expected to be completed by 2028.

In October 2021, NJ Transit awarded a contract to HNTB to undertake conceptual design, engineering work, and provide construction support for replacing the current facility with a new transportation center.

Bus service

Multiple routes operated by New Jersey Transit serve this transportation hub, including route 551. Additionally, connections are available to Greyhound Lines intercity buses and a shuttle operated by the South Jersey Transportation Authority that links to the Pureland Industrial Complex.

Notable places nearby

Several prominent destinations are accessible within walking distance:

References

External links