Secaucus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Upper level platforms of Secaucus Junction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other names | Frank R. Lautenberg Rail Station at Secaucus Junction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | County Road & County Avenue Secaucus, New Jersey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°45′41″N74°04′32″W / 40.76127917328393°N 74.07569111593966°W /40.76127917328393; -74.07569111593966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | New Jersey Transit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lines |
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| Distance | 5.0 miles (8.0 km) fromNew York Penn Station[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms |
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| Tracks | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platform levels | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | 1,080 spaces, 14accessible spaces[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fare zone | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 15 December 2003 (2003-12-15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 18,457 (average weekday)[5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Secaucus Junction (signed asSecaucus) is an intermodal transit hub served byNew Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) andMetro-North Railroad inSecaucus,New Jersey. It is one of thebusiest railway stations in North America.
The $450 million, 321,000-square-foot (29,800 m2) station opened on December 15, 2003. It was known asSecaucus Transfer during planning stages and was dedicated as theFrank R. Lautenberg Rail Station at Secaucus Junction. U.S. SenatorFrank Lautenberg, who died in 2013, was a transit advocate who had worked to allocate federal funds for the project.[6]
The station is on theNortheast Corridor (NEC) five miles west ofNew York Penn Station and five miles east ofNewark Penn Station. At Secaucus, the NEC crosses above theMain Line, which originates/terminates atHoboken Terminal; the station allows passengers to transfer between the two lines. The station is served by all NJ Transit rail lines except for theAtlantic City Line and thePrinceton Branch.Amtrak trains run through Secaucus but do not stop.
A bus terminal was built at the station in 2016.[citation needed]
NJ Transit's rail operations are split between two divisions, a legacy of their roots in separate railroads. The Hoboken Division consists of lines formerly part of theErie Lackawanna Railway and its predecessors, while the Newark Division lines had once been part of thePennsylvania Railroad andCentral Railroad of New Jersey.Conrail ran both networks under contract to theNew Jersey Department of Transportation from 1976 until handing them to NJ Transit in 1983. While the opening of theKearny Connection andWaterfront Connection in 1996 allowed for the implementation of some interdivisional trains, including the "Midtown Direct" service toNew York Penn Station on the Hoboken Division'sMorris & Essex Lines, direct passenger transfers between the divisions were still not possible. Secaucus Junction was built to integrate the two systems and allow for transfers between trains on each division.[citation needed]
The two-trackNortheast Corridor embankment was expanded to three tracks for a mile on each side of the station and to four tracks through the station itself, allowing Amtrak and nonstop NJT trains to pass stopped trains. The two-track Bergen County Line was re-aligned southwestward to join the two-track Main Line to pass through the station on the four-track lower level. The construction required the bodies from theHudson County Burial Grounds to be disinterred and moved to another cemetery.[7]
The station was built with little public parking, as NJT believed few passenger trips would originate there. In 2005, exit 15X on the adjacentNew Jersey Turnpike opened to provide easier access to the station; two years later, it was the least-used interchange on the turnpike, possibly due in part to the lack of parking at the station.[8] Despite NJT's prediction that the station would be used primarily for transfers, in 2008 an upscale "transit-oriented" housing development called Xchange at Secaucus Junction opened nearby with 799 units marketed towardManhattan commuters, and is expected to expand to 1,538 total units by 2024.[9][10] On June 1, 2009,Edison Parkfast, a private company, opened the first parking lot near the station,[11] with space for 1,094 cars. Bicycle parking is also available.[12]
On July 26, 2009, NJ Transit beganrail service to theMeadowlands station at theMeadowlands Sports Complex, with Secaucus Junction being a transfer point for passengers.[13] From 2009 to 2014, Secaucus Junction served trains coming from Metro-North'sNew Haven Line forNew York Giants andNew York Jets football games at the Meadowlands with 1:00 p.m. kickoffs on Sundays.[14][15] In anticipation of increased ridership forSuper Bowl XLVIII in February 2014, NJT extended the lower-level platforms at Secaucus Junction by 120 ft (37 m) to accommodatemulti-level 10-cartrain sets which could handle about 1,400 to 1,800 passengers per trip.[16] The capacity to handle crowds, a plan dubbed theMass Transit Super Bowl, was seen as unsuccessful.
On June 5, 2013, two days after his death, a special Amtrak train stopped at the station to carry the coffin of U.S. SenatorFrank Lautenberg to Washington, D.C. for his burial.[17] On February 2, 2014, a limited number of Amtrak trains made stops at Secaucus for passengers going toSuper Bowl XLVIII.[18] Local officials have indicated a desire to have regular Amtrak service stop at Secaucus Junction afterAmerican Dream Meadowlands opened in October 2019,[19] however, as of 2024, this has not been implemented.
In March 2016, a new bus station with 14 bus berths opened; it is used for intermodal connections and was intended to add redundancy to the transportation network.[20] In 2021NJ Transit authorized studies for alternative options between the Meadowlands Sports Complex and Secaucus Junction including a bus "transitway".[21][22][23] Further funding for design was approved in 2023 for an exclusive bus transitway planned to go into service for the2026 FIFA World Cup.[24]
Despite its name, Secaucus Junction is not a truejunction, in which trains can switch between lines; there is no rail connection between the upper and lower levels. The station has two platform levels connected by a third level on top.[25] Such a loop, however, is proposed as part of theGateway Project to improve commuter access toManhattan.
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2025) |
On November 16, 2010,The New York Times reported thatNew York City MayorMichael Bloomberg's administration was working on a plan to bring the7 and <7> trains of theNew York City Subway under theHudson River to Secaucus Junction.[26][27] Anextension of that service fromTimes Square – 42nd Street to a new terminus atEleventh Avenue and 34th Street, has already been built.[28][29]
The extension would take the subway outside the city's andNew York's borders and under the Hudson River for the first time. The plan would alleviate pressure on theNJ Transit/Amtrak route under the Hudson, after the cancellation of theAccess to the Region's Core tunnel project by New Jersey GovernorChris Christie in October 2010. It would offer a direct route toGrand Central Terminal on the east side ofManhattan, while connecting with most other subway routes. New York City spent $250,000 for a consultant to conduct feasibility studies for the project. However, no design work commenced nor were financing arrangements made.[30] On October 26, 2011, Bloomberg reiterated his support for the project, while Christie also expressed general concurrence.[31][32] In April 2013, theMetropolitan Transportation Authority rejected the proposed extension, citing lack of funding.[33] However, it was reconsidered again in 2018.[34][35]
TheGateway Project, a series of infrastructure improvements along the NEC betweenNewark Penn Station andNew York Penn Station, includes a proposal to build the so-called Secaucus Loop or Bergen Loop, tracks connecting the Main Line and the NEC at Secaucus, thus creating a truejunction station. As part of the second phase of the Gateway Project, the loop is projected to be constructed between 2024 and 2030.[36]
| Google Maps Street View | |
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 Upper Concourse Level | |
| South Lower Level Concourse | |
| Platform A/B, 2, & 3 (Upper Level) | |
| Platforms E/F & G/H (Lower Level) | |
| Bus Terminal/Plaza | |
| Station from New Jersey Turnpike |
| Hoboken Division |  | |
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| Newark Division | ||
| Connections | ||
| Current rolling stock | ||
| Bridges and tunnels |
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| Stations and yards | ||
| Proposed lines | ||
| Other topics | ||
