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Princeton Junction (NJT station)
Encyclopedia
Princeton Junction Station at West Windsor is a New Jersey Transit
and Amtrak
rail station on the Northeast Corridor
located in Princeton Junction
, an area within West Windsor Township
in New Jersey
, USA. On Amtrak and NJT tickets its abbreviation is PJC.
A 2.8-mile (4.51-km) spur line, the Princeton Branch
, connects Princeton Junction to the Princeton University
campus in Princeton, New Jersey
. New Jersey Transit provides shuttle service between the Princeton and Princeton Junction stations; the train is locally called the "Dinky", and has also been known as the "PJ&B" (for "Princeton Junction and Back"). Two train cars, or sometimes just one, are used.
Most of Amtrak's Princeton Junction service prior to 2005 was "Clocker
" service commuter traffic to New York
, Newark
, or Philadelphia
; since October 28, 2005, the Clockers have been replaced by NJT trains that run only as far south as Trenton.
Amtrak now offers 2 early-morning trains to Washington, D.C.
, and 2 evening returns, as well as 1 morning train to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
and 1 evening return. Those 6 trains also serve Philadelphia. Many more Amtrak trains stop at nearby Trenton Station
.
Of the six New Jersey stations served by Amtrak, Princeton Junction was the fifth-busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining about 110 passengers daily.
Permit parking is operated by the West Windsor Parking Authority. All spaces on the New York-bound side as well as most of the spaces on the Philadelphia-bound side are in permit lots. West Windsor Township residents have about a five-year wait to buy permits for $100 per quarter; nonresident permits cost $165 per quarter and have a waiting period twice as long.
Daily parking is available for $5 in a close-in lot just north of the Princeton Branch platform and in the rear of the paved lot on the south side of Vaughn Drive. The close-in lot usually fills by 7:15 AM on Mondays through Thursdays; the Vaughn Drive lot does not usually fill up. Privately operated parking is available for $8 along Station Drive near Washington Road.
As of January 1, 2010 the Daily Parking fee was increased to $5.00. As of January 1, 2007, the Alexander Road Quarterly Permit Fee was increased to $165. As of February 1, 2007, the Vaughn Drive Lot and Wallace Road Lot Quarterly Permit Fee was increased to $100
, who lived at 112 Mercer Street in Princeton
, used to enjoy sitting at the station and watching the trains go by. More than once he employed trains to explain the practical effects of his General Theory of Relativity
.
In 1965, a prototype for the high-speed Metroliner passed through the station at the record speed (at that time) of 164 miles per hour (73.3 m/s) on a short demonstration run. Very few sections of the Northeast Corridor were capable of handling that speed, and most had to be upgraded before Penn Central's Metroliner service was introduced in 1969.
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
and Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
rail station on the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
located in Princeton Junction
Princeton Junction, New Jersey
Princeton Junction is also a New Jersey Transit and Amtrak station on the Northeast Corridor line.Princeton Junction is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within West Windsor Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey...
, an area within West Windsor Township
West Windsor Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of Census 2010, West Windsor had a population of 27,165. The median age was 39.6. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 54.9% White, 3.7% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 37.7% Asian, 1.0% some other race and 2.6% reporting two or more races...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, USA. On Amtrak and NJT tickets its abbreviation is PJC.
A 2.8-mile (4.51-km) spur line, the Princeton Branch
Princeton Branch
The Princeton Branch is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line is a short branch of the Northeast Corridor Line, running from Princeton Junction northwest to Princeton with no intermediate stops...
, connects Princeton Junction to the Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
campus in Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
. New Jersey Transit provides shuttle service between the Princeton and Princeton Junction stations; the train is locally called the "Dinky", and has also been known as the "PJ&B" (for "Princeton Junction and Back"). Two train cars, or sometimes just one, are used.
Most of Amtrak's Princeton Junction service prior to 2005 was "Clocker
Clocker (Amtrak)
Clocker was an Amtrak rail service operating between Philadelphia and New York City on the Northeast Corridor. It was the first service to be officially operated by Amtrak, when train number 235 left New York's Penn Station at 12:05 AM on May 1, 1971 bound for Philadelphia. The last Clocker train...
" service commuter traffic to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, or Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
; since October 28, 2005, the Clockers have been replaced by NJT trains that run only as far south as Trenton.
Amtrak now offers 2 early-morning trains to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and 2 evening returns, as well as 1 morning train to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
and 1 evening return. Those 6 trains also serve Philadelphia. Many more Amtrak trains stop at nearby Trenton Station
Trenton Rail Station (New Jersey)
Trenton Transit Center, formerly known as Trenton Rail Station, is the main passenger train station in Trenton, New Jersey. It is the southernmost stop in New Jersey on the Northeast Corridor...
.
Of the six New Jersey stations served by Amtrak, Princeton Junction was the fifth-busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining about 110 passengers daily.
Parking
Daily parking is available for $5 in a close-in lot just north of the Princeton Branch platform and in the rear of the paved lot on the south side of Vaughn Drive. The close-in lot usually fills by 7:15 AM on Mondays through Thursdays; the Vaughn Drive lot does not usually fill up. Privately operated parking is available for $8 along Station Drive near Washington Road.
As of January 1, 2010 the Daily Parking fee was increased to $5.00. As of January 1, 2007, the Alexander Road Quarterly Permit Fee was increased to $165. As of February 1, 2007, the Vaughn Drive Lot and Wallace Road Lot Quarterly Permit Fee was increased to $100
History
Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, who lived at 112 Mercer Street in Princeton
Albert Einstein House
The Albert Einstein House at 112 Mercer Street in Princeton, New Jersey was the home of Albert Einstein from 1936 until his death in 1955.The house "was probably built in the 1870's or 1880's...
, used to enjoy sitting at the station and watching the trains go by. More than once he employed trains to explain the practical effects of his General Theory of Relativity
General relativity
General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...
.
In 1965, a prototype for the high-speed Metroliner passed through the station at the record speed (at that time) of 164 miles per hour (73.3 m/s) on a short demonstration run. Very few sections of the Northeast Corridor were capable of handling that speed, and most had to be upgraded before Penn Central's Metroliner service was introduced in 1969.