New Jersey Transitfanning Locations
AMTRAK NORTHEAST CORRIDOR -- NORTH ELIZABETH TO RAHWAY
This is European-style volume and speed, and is therefore not suited to the type of North Carolina or Iowa railfan opportunities most Americans are used to. Standing at trackside (if you can legally get anywhere near trackside!), and watching trains zoom by at 120 MPH may be cool, but is hardly conducive to taking decent pictures. Therefore, one of the best ways to railfan and photo the NEC is from the platform of the stations themselves. Between Newark Penn Station and Rahway, North Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Linden and Rahway are recommended.
Don't venture near the tracks themselves, as the Amtrak police are good at what they are paid to do, and you will be fined.
There are lots of vendors at most stations, so food, drink and something to read are readily available. For pix, morning and evening rush hours are obviously the times to be there.
Station Info
All stations are served by NJ Transit Trains on the Northeast Corridor and the North Jersey Coast Lines as well as the following bus routes.
North Elizabeth - NJ Transit 112
Elizabeth - NJ Transit 26, 52, 56/57, 58, 59, 62*, 112, and Coach USA 24**.
Linden - NJ Transit 56/57 and 94
Rahway - NJ Transit 62*
*The NJ Transit 62 bus serves Newark Airport Terminals as well as local stops on Broad Street in Newark between Raymond Bvld and Route 21 and is subject to overcrowding as a result. Anyone traveling between Newark and Elizabeth should consider using the 24 or the 59 instead. Rahway, you're better off on the train.
**The Coach USA 24 bus has lettered suffixes (24A and 24B) and a different fare structure then NJ Transit buses. However, this bus route runs very frequently and seeing 2 or 3 of them come at a time is not common.
ATLANTIC CITY (BUSES)
The casinos do a volume bus business. Academy, Greyhound, and NJ Transit are common as are numerous smaller operations from around the Northeast. NJ Transit's 319 bus and Greyhound provide service between New York and Atlantic City. NJ Transit Bus 551 and the Atlantic City Rail Line provide service to and from Philadelphia. The Atlantic City Rail Line is currently home to NJ Transit's only GE Locomotives, GE P40BHs 4800-4803 which are used during the summer on ACES Service.
DENVILLE
Denville Station contains 2 different stations. A curved double-track station serves the Morristown Line while a single track station near the old interlocking tower serves the Montclair-Boonton Line. Action is better during the week with ALP46 and ALP46A powered Midtown Directs on the Morristown Line, Diesel powered trains on both platforms, and around 6:20PM on weekdays a 3-car Arrow III set will arrive traveling towards Dover and return about 15-20 minutes later as a deadhead. During the day, Morristown & Erie's red Alco C424s pass through to serve branches in Rockaway and Roxbury. Norfolk Southern H-02 travels down the Montclair-Boonton Line on Tuesdays and Thursdays to serve industries in Totowa.
Station Info
NJ Transit Bus - 880
NJ Transit Rail - Montclair-Boonton Line, Morristown Line
JERSEY CITY
Jersey City is home to much bus traffic as well as the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. The Journal Square Transportation Center serves the routes of NJ Transit and the A&C Bus Corporation. Best spots to photograph buses here are on the streets nearby. Sip Avenue contains a bus-only lane between Bergen Avenue and the center. Exchange Place is a waterfront location and serves NJ Transit and A&C buses as well as the Light Rail.
Bus Routes by Operator
A&C Bus Corp. - 4***, 440 Shopper, Bergen Avenue, Montgomery & West Side***, Society Hill
NJ Transit - 1, 6, 43*, 64*/**, 67*, 68*/**, 80, 81***, 82*/***, 83, 84, 85**, 86***, 87**, 123***, 125, 126*/**/***
NJ Transit (Operated by Number 22 Hillside/Academy) - 2, 10, 22**, 88, 88C, 119*
*Limited Service on this route, check schedules for exact times.
**Bus route operates to/from Hoboken Terminal.
***Bus route does bot serve Journal Square Transportation Center. Check schedules for exact routings.
NEWARK
Newark is home to many varieties of transit. The Newark Light Rail runs from Bloomfield to Newark Penn Station with a spur to the Broad Street Station. Bus traffic is a constant with most of the traffic either operating on or crossing Broad Street at some point. Greyhound and BoltBus operate out of Newark Penn Station as does Amtrak. NJ Transit trains serve both rail stations with traffic at Penn Station beiing heavier then at Broad Street Station.
RIDGEFIELD PARK -- CP-5
Here's a nice place to see trains within Megalopolis: From the I-95/US-46 interchange, go west on US-46 (Winant Avenue) thru Ridgefield Park. When you get to Main Street, turn left, and go south all the way to the Bergen Turnpike. Take a right on the latter, and go to the tracks. There are 3 tracks here: The eastern-most two tracks are CSX, and the western track is NYSW (Little Ferry yard is just to the south of the Hackensack River here). The CSX tracks are part of what was NYC's West Shore Line, and sees 1-2 trains per hour. A nice, quiet place to see trains in the northeast.
Station Info
NJ Transit Bus - 83, 165, and 168
Chris Denbow, has provided this information.
ROSELLE PARK
From the Garden State Parkway, take exit 137, and go east on NJ-28, West Westfield Avenue. At Locust Street, go north to just before the tracks at West Webster Avenue. The New Jersey Transit station parking lot will probably be full on weekdays, so you might have to park elsewhere and hoof it. It will be worth it.
Go up the steps to the elevated platform and you're between the 2 tracks shared by NJT, CSX and NS. Go to either end of the platform to catch the action, although be advised that you're getting trains head on. Look for freights to stay away during commuter hours, and expect heavy traffic (thanks to NJT) during those business hours. Lighting is best for westbounds virtually all day.
Station Info
NJ Transit Bus - 94 and 113S
NJ Transit Rail - Raritan Valley Line
Thanks to Lee for this posting. .
UNION STATION
Located on Morris Avenue near Kean University. Garden State Parkway Exit 140, follow signs for Route 82 and take that to Morris Avenue. Station entrance will be after the railroad bridge traveling towards Elizabeth. Nearby strip mall contains a CVS and various places to get something to eat.
Go up the steps to the elevated platform and you're between the 2 tracks shared by NJT, CSX and NS. Go to either end of the platform to catch the action, although be advised that you're getting trains head on. Look for freights to stay away during commuter hours, and expect heavy traffic (thanks to NJT) during those business hours.
Station Info
NJ Transit Bus - 26 and 52
NJ Transit Rail - Raritan Valley Line