Northern Branch Corridor Project

Northern Branch
Corridor Project
Englewood Hospital
Englewood Town Center
Englewood Route 4
Leonia
Palisades Park
Ridgefield
91st Street
85th Street Viaduct
69th Street
Tonnelle Avenue

The Northern Branch Corridor Project is a proposed extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) from its northern terminus into eastern Bergen County, New Jersey, initially proposed in 2001. If built, the new service would use the right-of-way of the Northern Branch on which the Erie Lackawanna Railroad ran passenger service until October 3, 1966,[1][2] and is currently a lightly used, stub-ended freight rail line owned by CSX Transportation. The Northern Branch Corridor is at the foot of the west side of the Hudson Palisades in the Hackensack River valley, running for much of its length parallel to Overpeck Creek. After mixed reactions and extensive community input to a draft environmental impact statement (EIS), it was decided in 2013 to terminate the line at the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.[3] In March 2017 the Supplementary Draft Environmental Impact Statement was approved by the Federal Transit Administration allowing for a period of public reaction.[4] A separately-conceived and funded bridge at 69th Street in North Bergen, necessary for operation of the system, has been completed. In 2017 NJ Transit estimated that the line would open in 2029.[5]

  1. ^ "Commuters Lose Bid to Keep Erie Trains". The New York Times. October 2, 1966. p. 58.
  2. ^ "Northern Branch Corridor Project". Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  3. ^ Higgs, Larry (January 17, 2017). "What's delaying extending light rail line into Bergen County?". Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  4. ^ "Public hearings set to start on long-promised Bergen Light Rail". NJ.com. March 9, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  5. ^ Dia, Hannington (May 10, 2017). "Light rail on track - NJ Transit holds public hearing for HBLR extension". Hudson Reporter. Retrieved January 20, 2020.