Somerville (NJT station)
| Somerville | |||||||||||
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 The new Somerville station with high-level platform in construction during May 2011. |
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| Station statistics | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°33′58″N 74°36′51″W / 40.5661°N 74.6141°WCoordinates: 40°33′58″N 74°36′51″W / 40.5661°N 74.6141°W | ||||||||||
| Lines | |||||||||||
| Connections | NJT Bus: 65, 114 | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||
| Parking | Yes, free | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Accessible |  |
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| Owned by | New Jersey Transit | ||||||||||
| Fare zone | 17[1] | ||||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||||
| Passengers (2010) | 652 (average weekday)  9.05% |
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| Services | |||||||||||
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Somerville is a New Jersey Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in Somerville, New Jersey, south of the town center. The historical station building on the north side of the tracks has been restored and now is used by a law firm. Parking lots are located to the south of the station and there is a tunnel there to access the platforms. Like many of the stations on the Raritan Valley Line, Somerville was not a wheelchair accessible station until December 7, 2010.
In 2004, the station's parking lot was expanded, toward the two railroad tracks, from the south side, to include parking for another 68 cars. These spaces are no longer available as a construction project is in progress.
At some point, the stationhouse and the train tracks were on the same level. An historical photo of the Somerville station with the tracks in front of it can be seen in the Arcadia Publishing historical photo book "Somerset County in Postcards," by Alan A. Siegel, Somerset County Historical Society (ISBN 0-7385-0078-X).
In 2009, a reconstruction project began at the station to install high-level platforms and make the station handicap accessible. This project includes new ramps, renovations to the existing tunnel, rehibilitation of the existing freight elevator shafts, a new tunnel headhouse, and demolition of the two existing waiting rooms. It was announced on December 1, 2010 that the high level platforms will open on Tuesday, December 7, 2010 to allow for demolition of the low level platforms and continued platform construction.[2] The historic station depot is being kept.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ "Raritan Valley Line Timetables". Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. November 7, 2010. http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/R0060.pdf. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
- ^ "Somerville Station: New High-Level Platforms Open Tuesday, December 7". Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. December 2010. http://www.njtransit.com/sa/sa_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=ConstructionAdvisoryTo&AdvisoryId=2588. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
- ^ "NJ Transit Begins Reconstruction of Somerville Station" (Press release). New Jersey Transit. 2009-03-27. http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=2500. Retrieved 2010-02-14.
