Wood-Ridge station
| Company type | Commuter railroad station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | January 21, 1861 |
| Headquarters | Wood-Ridge , United States |
Area served | Bergen County, New Jersey |
| Products | Passenger rail service (Pascack Valley Line) |
Wood-Ridge functions as an operational commuter railroad train station located within the borough of Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, in Bergen County, New Jersey. Positioned close to the interchange of Route 17 and Moonachie (County Route 36), this station features a single low-level side platform and serves New Jersey Transit’s Pascack Valley Line, connecting Hoboken Terminal and Spring Valley. The neighboring stations are Teterboro to the north and Secaucus Junction to the south. The facility lacks handicap accessibility but provides parking facilities along Park Place East.
Rail service at Wood-Ridge commenced on January 21, 1861, with the inauguration of the Hackensack and New York Railroad, initially named Woodridge–Moonachie. The original station complex included a two-story wooden passenger building measuring 39 by 18 feet, alongside two freight structures: a 13 by 13-foot wooden freight house and an old railroad car converted for auxiliary use. In 1967, during the Route 17 expansion project, permission was granted to demolish the original depot to make way for new right-of-way construction. A new concrete block depot spanning 1,200 square feet replaced it, coinciding with the closure of the nearby Hasbrouck Heights and Carlstadt stations.
On July 1, 1981, New Jersey Transit removed the station agent position and subsequently shuttered the depot in 1987 due to repeated vandalism. Service was restored when the depot reopened in September 1997.
History
On March 20, 1967, representatives from Erie Lackawanna Railroad and Bergen County Board of Freeholders convened with the Board of Public Utility Commissioners to discuss plans for discontinuing the Hasbrouck Heights and Carlstadt stations in light of forthcoming Route 17 widening efforts. The Woodridge–Moonachie stop was slated for relocation further south. The road improvement project involved constructing multiple overpasses over Route 17 at Paterson Plank Road, Moonachie Avenue (County Route 36), Williams Avenue, and Franklin Avenues within Hasbrouck Heights.
The Commissioners approved demolishing existing depots, consolidating rail stops by closing Hasbrouck Heights and Carlstadt stations, relocating Woodridge–Moonachie approximately half a mile south with a new depot facility, and reconstructing Williams Avenue station in Hasbrouck Heights with updated shelter and bus stop amenities.
In June 1967, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) issued bids for Route 17 reconstruction work, which included building an overpass at Moonachie Avenue aimed at improving safety by reducing accidents. The project expanded Route 17 from two lanes each 10 feet wide with 5-foot shoulders to six lanes each 12 feet wide separated by a 32-inch concrete Jersey barrier. Adjustments included realigning Moonachie Avenue for a new interchange; Anderson Avenue was converted into a dead end, and Bergen Street underwent modifications. NJDOT allocated $7.25 million for this 3.8-mile stretch.
By July 1967, NJDOT planned to begin accepting construction bids on July 27, fully funding the Woodridge–Moonachie station reconstruction through state resources. George Brewster Construction from Bogota submitted the lowest bid at $2.5 million for phase one, which encompassed erecting a 1,200-square-foot concrete block depot housing ticket and freight offices, storage areas, waiting rooms with heating facilities, and restrooms. Demolition of existing stations was managed via separate contracts; four additional bids ranged between $2.7 million and $3.2 million.
Construction activities commenced on September 6, 1967, including demolition of structures within the right-of-way such as Adelung's Hotel near the station site despite resistance from local residents.
On April 20, 1981, Wood-Ridge borough announced plans to eliminate its station agent position effective July 1 as part of New Jersey Transit’s strategy to address an $80 million budget shortfall; this measure coincided with a fare increase of approximately 50% across rail and bus services.
In September 1997, New Jersey Transit obtained $185,000 in funding to refurbish the Wood-Ridge station depot after extended periods of neglect and deterioration. Renovation efforts included installing a heated waiting area furnished with new seating and restroom facilities, resurfacing the single side platform, and upgrading lighting in the parking lot. Declining ridership had been attributed partly to the closed condition of the station building. The renovated depot officially reopened on November 14, 1997, with attendance from local officials.
Until the opening of Wesmont station on the Bergen County Line near Wood-Ridge’s border with Wallington in 2016, Wood-Ridge station served as the borough’s only rail transit location.
Station layout
The facility consists of a single rail line accompanied by one low-level side platform.
Bibliography
- Jones, Wilson E. The Pascack Valley Line - A History of the New Jersey and New York Railroad. Railroadians of America, East Hanover, New Jersey, 1996. ISBN 0-941652-14-9.
- New Jersey State Board of Taxes and Assessment. Eighth Annual Report of the New Jersey State Board of Taxes and Assessment for the Year Ending June 30, 1923. MacCrellish & Quigley, Trenton, New Jersey, 1924.
- Yanosey, Robert J. Erie Railroad Facilities (In Color). Morning Sun Books Inc., Scotch Plains, New Jersey, 2006, vol. 1, pp. 100–101. ISBN 1-58248-183-0.