Can you hear the trains rumble? North Bergen Yard stands before us. It is a vital hub in the heart of North Bergen. This freight rail yard and intermodal terminal plays a crucial role in the transportation of goods. It connects New Jersey to the rest of the country.
North Bergen Yard runs parallel to Tonnelle Avenue. It stretches impressively between 49th and 69th Streets. This location is within the North Jersey Shared Assets Area. The facility is an integral part of CSX Transportation. It marks the origination point of the CSX River Subdivision. This subdivision is at the southern end of the Albany Division.
Let’s look to the west side of the yard. The New York Susquehanna and Western Railway runs along it. This railway operates a bulk transloading operation. It sits immediately adjacent to the yard adding to the industrial activity.
A rail right of way was established here in 1859. The Northern Railroad of New Jersey built it. It ran to Croxton and Jersey City. By 1874 the Hudson Connecting Railway had a parallel alignment. This alignment is now part of NYSW. In 1883 the West Shore Railroad also laid tracks. These lines converged at Marion Junction. They used the New Jersey Railroad later the Pennsylvania Railroad. They passed through the Bergen Hill Cut. They ended at the Pennsylvania RR Depot at Exchange Place.
Passenger service once passed through this yard. The Erie Railroad’s Northern Branch provided this service. It stopped at Susquehanna Transfer. This stop was about a half mile south of the yard. Later West Shore Railroad trains joined the right of way here. These trains travelled to and from Weehawken Terminal. They used a rail junction at the yard’s southern end. This junction was just west of the tunnel under Bergen Hill. Conrail later used this tunnel.
Today the trackage south of the yard leads into Jersey City. This is the Northern Running Track. It connects with the National Docks Secondary. This track runs southeast through the Long Dock Tunnel to Port Jersey. At Marion Junction it becomes the Marion Running Track. It continues to the Passaic and Harsimus Line. This line crosses the Hackensack River, the Kearny Meadows, and the Passaic River to Oak Island Yard. The running track also connects to Norfolk Southern’s intermodal operations at Croxton Yard.
NYSW operations end at the Landbridge Terminal. This terminal is near Secaucus Road. The current northern end of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail is nearby. It’s a balloon loop just west of the Tonnelle Avenue station. It is directly adjacent to the yard.
There are plans to restore passenger service. The Northern Branch Corridor Project aims to extend the HBLR. The plans include a flyover above the North Bergen Yard. Light rail trackage would run along its western side. The 69th Street station may serve passengers on two lines. These are the Northern Branch and the Passaic–Bergen–Hudson Transit Project.
At the northern end of the yard stands the 69th Street Bridge. It replaced a grade crossing. It significantly reduced congestion for locals.
North of 69th Street the trackage continues to the former Granton Junction and Babbitt Station. The CSX Northern Branch continues as a spur line. It goes to the New York State Line. The right of way is shared by CSX and NYSW mainlines. It veers northwest to the Little Ferry Yard. It crosses Overpeck Creek. CSX trackage was formerly part of the Bergen Subdivision.
The River Line follows the original West Shore Railroad alignment. It passes through Bergen County and Rockland County. The NYSW veers west at Bogota. It crosses the Hackensack River. It crosses the Passaic River at Paterson. It enters New York at Warwick. North Bergen Yard continues to evolve. It adapts to the transportation needs of our time.