Program

Historic Transportation

Subject

Site, Transportation

Location

22 Church St, Middletown Township, NJ 07748, USA

Lat/Long

40.392425, -74.118577

Grant Recipient

Middletown Township Historical Society

In the state of New Jersey, the New York & Long Branch Railroad, running between Perth Amboy and Long Branch, was completed in 1875. The following year a passenger station was constructed along the line in the community of Middletown, with a freight house standing just to the south. From 1876 to 1881, the railroad company acquired several smaller railroads to connect its line to Bay Head on the New Jersey Shore, ultimately running a total of just under 40 miles in length. Connecting with the Perth Amboy and Elizabethport Railroad at Perth Amboy to the north, the New York & Long Branch was part of an all-rail route between the communities along the New Jersey shore and New York City.

The New York & Long Branch was acquired by Conrail in 1976. As the railroad transitioned into a commuter hub to New York City, the passenger station in Middletown was used until 1986 when it was replaced by a new station. As of 2024, the Township of Middletown in partnership with the Middletown Township Historical Society have been working to restore and create a museum of Middletown history at the former station. The railroad, now known as the North Jersey Coast Line, continues as a commuter rail serving the Jersey Shore region, operated by NJ Transit, New Jersey’s public transportation corporation.