Public Service Railway
Encyclopedia
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...
by the early 20th century. Public Service lines stretched from northeast New Jersey to Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, and then south to Camden
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
and its suburbs. Major parts of the system were:
- The Newark Public Service TerminalNewark Public Service TerminalThe Public Service Terminal was a two-level streetcar station in Newark, New Jersey, owned and operated by the Public Service Corporation. It served as the terminus for streetcar lines from as far as Trenton, New Jersey, and the six office stories above became company headquarters...
, a two-level terminal in downtown NewarkNewark, New JerseyNewark 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...
. - The Hoboken Inclined Cable RailwayNorth Hudson County RailwayThe North Hudson Railway Company built and operated a streetcar system in Hudson County and southeast Bergen County, New Jersey before and after the turn of twentieth century. It was founded by John Bonn, and eventually taken over by the Public Service Railway...
, an elevated railway from Hoboken TerminalHoboken TerminalHoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
up the New Jersey PalisadesNew Jersey PalisadesThe Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson Palisades are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in northeastern New Jersey and southern New York in the United States. The cliffs stretch north from Jersey City approximately 20 mi to near...
into Jersey CityJersey City, New JerseyJersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
and south to near Journal SquareJournal SquareJournal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper Jersey Journal whose headquarters are located there. The "square" itself is at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenues...
. - The Newark-Trenton Fast LineNewark-Trenton Fast LineThe Newark–Trenton Fast Line was an interurban line from Newark, New Jersey to Trenton, New Jersey via Elizabeth and New Brunswick. It was owned and operated by the Public Service Railroad, a subsidiary of the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey....
, an interurban streetcar line mostly on private right-of-wayRight-of-way (railroad)A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
from NewarkNewark, New JerseyNewark 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...
to TrentonTrenton, New JerseyTrenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, and run by the Public Service Railroad.
For many years, the only streetcar route still in operation was the #7 line, in the form of the Newark City Subway. The #7 at the turn of the 21st century underwent a line rehabilitation including new modern light rail cars, and was extended northward into Bloomfield. Additionally, a portion of an old NCS spur tunnel to the abandoned Cedar Street Subway
Cedar Street Subway
The Cedar Street Subway was built by the Public Service Corporation as an entrance to the lower level of the Newark Public Service Terminal. Starting at street level at Washington Street, it runs down a ramp into a short tunnel extending one block under Cedar Street and across Broad Street.The...
(#13-Broad St., #27-Mt. Prospect, and #43-Jersey City), another Public Service trolley conduit, has been rehabilitated and opened for service in 2006 as another portion of the subway, to serve as a connection between Newark's two train stations and provide access to the Performing Arts Center, Newark Bears Stadium, Washington Park and the Newark Public Library. The other two light rail systems in New Jersey Hudson Bergen Light Rail and River Line
River Line (New Jersey Transit)
The River Line is a diesel light rail system in New Jersey, United States, that connects the cities of Camden and Trenton, New Jersey's capital. It is operated for New Jersey Transit by the Southern New Jersey Rail Group , which originally included Bechtel Group and Bombardier...
are built along freight railroad rights-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
and public streets, and do not date back to Public Service days.
In later years, Public Service bustituted
Bustitution
The word bustitution is a neologism sometimes used to describe the practice of replacing a passenger train service with a bus service either on a temporary or permanent basis. The word is a portmanteau of the words "bus" and "substitution"...
most routes; many of these lines are still run by New Jersey Transit
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 even use the same number. In 1928 the operations were merged with Public Service Transportation, which operated these buses, into Public Service Coordinated Transport.