Hudson-Bergen Light Rail in New Jersey 

I’d argue the HBLR invigorated the Jersey City boom of the 2000s. The whole waterfront is unrecognizable now. Impressive skyline and community when compared to majority of American cities, it just looks dwarfed because it’s against Manhattan. This was a successful light rail implementation that doesn’t feel half-assed like most light rails nowadays.

Yup, as you mentioned, the HBLR goes where people wanna go, whether it's Hoboken Terminal, a state park, JC Medical Center, the mall, university, etc! The HBLR's most popular stop is Newport for the Newport Centre shopping mall. Newport participates in a NJ government Urban Enterprise Zone program with reduced sales tax, encouraging New Yorkers to do their shopping in NJ! The West Side Ave station is walking distance to the New Jersey City University campus and are right by the Jersey City Board of Education and Social Security offices as well. The walk to the Communipaw Terminal from the LSP station is scenic! I remember doing the walk during the Red Bull Air Race in 2010 and a lot of spectators took the HBLR! The station is also right next door to the Liberty Science Center as well, home to the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere! My family is emotionally attached to LSP, as my uncle was a boy scout who participated in its opening on July 4th, 1976. They had the scouts of the city to raise 50 US flags, and my uncle raised the one in front of the park's Nature Interpretive Center and the flagpole is still there today! Both the HBLR and the PATH have led to lots of TOD and pedestrianization in downtown JC. Hoboken and JC has Citi Bike infrastructure by HBLR stations too! Outside downtown, new developments are going up by Liberty State Park station. And the West Side Ave portion being extended to the new Bayfront development complex revives the ROW further, with new TOD, with much of it affordable housing! Port Imperial in Weehawken was designed as a big TOD with its ferry operations upgraded to a terminal when the HBLR station opened. Many luxury apartments with a supermarket have been built by the station. For connections, besides Hoboken Terminal and Exchange Place you got off at (not Newport), Bergenline Avenue is a busy shopping corridor and not only a bus hub for seven routes but is also the only underground station on the HBLR, and Bergenline Ave is a jitney corridor as well. Besides Newport PATH, the other side of Newport mall is a terminus for the NJ jitneys. Port Imperial and Lincoln Harbor both have ferry connections, with Port Imperial having different bus routes as well. In Bayonne, there's the MTA S89 bus which goes between Bayonne and Eltingville and allows Staten Islanders access to the HBLR. 34th Street station is also close to the Cape Liberty cruise port. The MTA plan to improve Staten Island bus service to NJ is with BRT to 8th St! A gondola (yes, GONDOLA) to 8th Street from SI has been proposed in the past as well.

Ayyy my local system! Glad you enjoyed Thom. However, the reason the light rail in its 30 years of planning still hasn’t gotten to Bergen County is because of some NIMBYs in Tenafly who keep complaining. At first, they were complaining because the terminus was there and thus more traffic would come from up north. Secondly, after NJT cut the project just south of the Tenafly/Englewood Border, they still complained because more traffic would come from up north heading for the HBLR, and to this day they still complain delaying the process of actually getting this extension done.

HBLR, LET'S GOOOO! Used to live in JC and my local station was 9th/Congress St! Loved taking the elevator off the side of the Palisades to get down to the station in Hoboken, which was a really cool feature that I'm glad they did so people in the Jersey City Heights can access the system! Yeah as you mentioned, the system uses a mix of old right-of-way and right-of-way built brand new for the system downtown. Besides the CNJ main line (which also partly sits on former Morris Canal bed) and the CNJ's Newark and New York Railroad, the section of the HBLR between western Hoboken and Port Imperial was once the NY Central's New Jersey Junction Railroad, while the Weehawken Tunnel between Port Imperial and Tonnelle Ave that Bergenline Ave station is in, was used by the West Shore Railroad (for trains between the former Weehawken Terminal and Buffalo. The NJ Junction Railroad and Weehawken Tunnel eventually became Conrail's River Line, which NJT bought the tracks from, and paid to upgrade the Northern Running Track as part of the deal so Conrail could shift its operations (now used by CSX). When the Bergen County extension to Englewood is built, it will use the Northern Running Track/Northern Branch, originally constructed in 1859 by the Northern Railroad of New Jersey to connect the New York and Erie Railroad's Piermont Branch terminus in Piermont, NY directly to Erie's primary terminal in Jersey City, initially Exchange Place, and later Pavonia Terminal. NJT originally wanted the Northern Branch extension to go to Tenafly, but people in Tenafly opposed it, so it'll terminate at Englewood Hospital. As part of the deal to upgrade, it included double-tracking the line, changing Marion Junction and Bergen Junction, and building overpasses, thus the HBLR will have smooth operations! When plans for the HBLR were originally being drawn out, it was proposed for it to go to the Vince Lombardi Park & Ride in Ridgefield as its northern terminus! And before selecting the River Line ROW, its Hoboken section was supposed to be through-running and go along the waterfront serving Stevens Institute and give closer access to the PATH and bus terminal, but then opted to choose a stub-end terminus for Hoboken Terminal instead.

The Newark City Subway is a neat system. Lots of history. Back in the day, there used to be so many different places that cars would exit the subway and become street cars, like the Philadelphia subway-surface routes. Sadly, none are left today. The main branch of the city subway runs through the basement of my apartment building.

Exchange Place was once a terminal for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Exchange Place got its name because streetcars, rails, and ferries all met there as the place to exchange passengers! It opened in 1834 under the New Jersey Rail Road and Transportation Company for a line from Newark to Paulus Hook, and the PRR acquired it in 1871, replaced in 1876, and rebuilt again in the late 1880s. As the PRR built tunnels to Penn Station, this reduced traffic to Exchange Place, eventually leading to its closure in 1961 and demolition in 1963. Besides the PRR, the Lehigh Valley Railroad also used the terminal for its Black Diamond to Buffalo between 1896 and 1959. The statue at Exchange Place is the Katyń Memorial by Polish-American sculptor Andrzej Pitynski in dedication to the around 22,000 Polish victims of Stalin's 1940 Katyn massacre. Jersey City and the Hudson waterfront in general used to have many train terminals with ferries to NYC, with Hoboken Terminal and Communipaw Terminal still standing, though the PATH is also a remnant of these waterfront terminals as well since the intention of the original Hudson & Manhattan Railroad system was to connect these terminals with NYC, which there was even a proposed extension to the Communipaw Terminal! Imagine being able to take the PATH right to Liberty State Park! The Communipaw Terminal is a gorgeous terminal, and it is quite an important terminal when it comes to shaping American history as many immigrants went to the terminal from nearby Ellis Island to board trains to start new lives! The site of the former Weehawken Terminal of these waterfront terminals is now the Port Imperial ferry and HBLR terminal TOD complex (and its tunnel is now used by the HBLR to reach Tonnelle Ave), which at one point the complex in 2011 was proposed to be a FORMULA ONE street circuit (F1 driver Sebastian Vettel tested it in 2012 and said it was similar to Monaco), but the circuit didn't happen in 2013 because F1 stated the promoters were in breach of contract.

Now that would be an idea expanding the Light Rail to Staten Island. Also as a sports fan who attends a lot of games at MetLife Stadium, expanding the light rail to the Meadowlands would be a great idea. Another option to head to and from the stadium. And it would service the American Dream Mall next door. As of now it isn't the easiest to reach on public transportation.

Thank you for this excellent video ! I have briefly used this system, joining it at Hoboken Terminal. I thought it gave wonderful views of the trains of New Jersey Transit, and also enjoyed the run through Weehawken and through the tunnel to Bergen. I have seen many videos of the Weehawken Terminal when the New York Central ran its west side lines from there. Wonderful memories ! Also the view from Weehawken across the Hudson to NYC is fabulous, especially if there are some cruise liners about ! You can tell I am a simple tourist and railfan !

There are current plans to expand this into Bergen County. NJT built this route with extension in mind and it’s very smart. Same thing with the riverline. Theoretically the newark light rail could also be extended further to the Montclair Boonton line.

That's interesting. I ❤ trains, trams, take a ride, I have a folder on ''transportation'' (folder 2, in playlists) you will love them too :)

NJTransit needs to connect the spur that goes to West End Avenue to the Newark Light Rail and offer some additional stops In the Ironbound section of Newark as well as to Kearny Point which is a major office complex and home to MKBHD. Essentially merge the HBLR with the Newark Light Rail.

I would like to truly thank you for learning how to pronounce correctly the names of the places you visit. I love your work and your honest enthusiasm about both trains and bus networks.

I've ridden HBLR a number of times and it's quite serviceable. IMO, it needs a line running up the west side of the peninsula through Journal Square and connect through the Tonnelle Ave Station up into Guttenburg and Fort Lee. There also needs to be a station between the Congress/9th Station and Lincoln Harbor to make the north end of Hoboken, Union City and Weehawken (above the Palisades) more accessible.

2:08 oh cool skull kid from majora's mask

Great video. Yes! Staten Island! I have always thought that connecting Staten Island by rail via Jersey made more sense than a subway tunnel under the Narrows, since that would never happen. Staten Island doesn't have a lot of wide boulevards which makes routing difficult. So, I think from the Bayonne Bridge, via the 440 Expwy (which has a wide center median) to Richmond Ave, hitting the College of SI along the way, than back onto the 440 Expwy and connecting at Huguenot to the SIR. A branch connecting to the Staten Island Ferry and the SIR is more difficult. A branch along the SI Expwy can also be difficult. I think that a Jersey connection with Staten Island would be useful for Staten Islanders, the only issue may be that it would cost two fares to head into Manhattan but it might be worth it in time savings. A branch heading west on the SI Expwy to NJ to connect to NJ Transit trains would also be a good idea not just for jobs in Jersey but also to access EWR airport. So 3 branches, one to the east on the SI Expwy to connect to SIR, one west on the SI Expwy to connect to NJ Transit, and the main branch along the length of the island to the SIR.

2:14 Casual Legend of Zelda cosplay for the train ride. I love it. Lol

Awesome stuff! I'm not sure if you saw it anywhere when you were riding, but the HBLR also has an "express" service called the Bayonne Flyer. Makes select stops between HOB-8th street during weekday rush. The light rail was the main reason for revitalizing JC and has great connections to PATH, NJT, and the Ferry but frequency and safety have been an issue for a while. As for extensions many people did already mention it. The light rail was supposed to go north on the CSX Northern Branch to Tenafly and further to Northvale if successful. NIBYS shot the extension to Tenafly and has been pushed back to Englewood. Everything's ready, just needs 2 billion dollars. There is also talks of a Secaucus/American Dream extension as the route 3 bridge over the Hackensack River has to be replaced and its replacements will have room for light rail tracks in the plans. Lastly another extension was proposed to extend the light rail or create a commuter rail service on the NS&W railway to Paterson/Hawthorne. The light rail will be extended one stop west to route 440 on the west side av branch to serve a massive TOD in the future and NJT has hinted a further extension west over the Hackensack into Kearny! Glad you got to ride one of my favorite systems!

Awesome work making the video as always from trains are awesome

I like the fact that you finally got to ride the Hudson Bergen lite rail

one of the best LR lines of my acquaintance. Good job, and nice photos.

did you know, besides the river, netwark, and this, i think njt is building a new light rail in the future. its the camden line, and i would love to see it open!

Since you’re taking the Staten Island ferry towards the end of the video, ride the Staten Island railway if you can! It’s a commuter rail system that uses subway cars

Great video keep up the amazing work Thom!

What is needed since the ROW already is in place is a branch to journal square so that terminal can be reached with a one seat ride. The freight line there is no longer used. Pie in the sky would be an extension to met life stadium.

Ok, you made me happy that you pronounced Tonnelle properly!

I love the HBLR. Thank you Thom.

It's good that you rode the HBLR Thom. I've been riding it since it opened back in 2000. It was my first experience with trolleys and light rail close to home. Since it's opening, NJT has been putting out plans to extend the HBLR to Bergen County connect with another light rail running through Bergen and Passaic Counties. I've also heard extentions to the Meadowlands and into Staten Island which all fell through. (Although the rush hour S89 bus does connect to it) It's still a great light rail systems that NJT has operating in New Jersey. Though NJT one of these days gotta work getting the HBLR into Bergen County to really live up to its name!!

Great video

Your pronunciation of Hoboken marks you as a Dutch speaker. You might want to choose New Amsterdam for your next move.

Great thing about Njtransit light rail is that you can now just pay by tapping your credit card on the validator. I did that for the first time a few days ago: it literally made the difference between making the next train and having to wait another 10-15 minutes.

Well Thom , since you're in NYC I hope you get a chance to ride the SIRT in Staten Island. great service with a lot of history. You definitely would enjoy it. Have a good visit..

There's a freight line that runs through the middle of Englewood in Bergen County. It'd be a great place for a light rail station.

I love the exterior design of the trains. It holds up quite well for something designed in the late 90s. Still feels fresh and sleek in 2024

The Bergen part of the Light Rail was promised but of course never delivered. I lived in Hawthorne NJ and commuted to NYC for several years. They were supposed to run the Light Rail all the way to Ridgewood. They had maps published and everything.

In "real" Bergen City in the old world they've opened a light rail network in 2010. It's technically more a tram, but light rail sounds better I guess

Great Video😊

Rode this frequently when I was in Weehawken, hoofed it up and down the steps on the cliffs to Port Imperial. I am not sure if the proposed extension to Tenafly which was scaled back to Englewood will ever happen at this point.

2:09 I see someone went to NY Comic Con via Bayonne

Great video again, Thom! As someone who has never ridden anything in New Jersey except through it on the Northeast Regional, I have been very impressed with New Jersey Transit and the wide coverage and diversity of their services. Thanks to you Thom for breaking it down into component pieces, which makes the complex system a lot more understandable!

these are big LRVs, damn

Running farther north into Bergen County was part of the original plan but it never seems to gain much traction. A route to Englewood and possibly beyond, using existing rights of way has been on the table since the 2000s, but a mix of NIMBYs in northern Bergen County, a small amount freight traffic on the line posing FRA compliance issues, and NJ Transit spending the Chris Christie years just trying to stay above water, have kept it in limbo. As far as going to Staten Island, there was talk of an extension via the Bayonne Bridge, but considering the entire bridge was drastically refitted a few years ago to allow taller ships under it, and the light rail wasn’t added at that point, I wouldn’t hold my breath. By the way at 6:04 that’s Exchange Place, not Newport

2:14 That 2011 extension is wild, it extended all the way to Hyrule!

Fun fact. Bergen gets its name from the small dutch city of Bergen op Zoom just north of Antwerp

As a regular and local commuter on this light rail, there are a few things to note: Weekend service is only good half the time with trains on individual lines only running every half hour while on weekdays, its half that. The Rush Hour service isnt really that good because it says its an express but it really only passes two stops. Glad to see you came to review my local light rail - you started at my local station too! They are still working on extending the Tonnelle Avenue branch to go along the former Erie's Northern Branch to Englewood.

I used to ride the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail from Bergenline Avenue to Jersey Avenue since I was young. The Horn was LOUD until the end of 2014, especially for Weehawken Tunnel. It was Nathan P2 (Bells 1 & 2), and it also used to have the gong bells. But now since 2013. All HBLR’s were using the both Electric Bell and Electric Bell. Sometimes I went to Newport for Sarku Japan and Hoboken Terminal for Railfanning

Didn’t conrail get split? Great video anyway!👍

NICE! I've ridden the HBLR several hundred times over the past 15 years ago and have never had a bad experience. However, be forewarned if you're a standee; these railcars must use a mass transit form of Brembo brakes as they can stop on a dime.

I enjoyed that video👍👍

Nice

5:48Woah, slow down! 🧐

Nice video Thom! I thought these looked really similar to the VTA (San Jose) with the small middle segments for bikes - and had some strong DART (Dallas) vibes as well. Apparently they were all made by Kinki Sharyo! I have mixed feelings about both the VTA and DART for a lot of reasons, but something about the seats on these models has always made them feel slightly cramped to me, though for light rail, it's probably fine.

I’ve heard of a NJ Transit light rail and kept forgetting what it’s called. Now I should know better.

was that a majora's mask cosplay?

Rode this light rail every day for four years for high school in Jersey City! Took a train to this light rail. Brings back some fond memories. The name of the Newport station actually used to be called Pavonia/Newport and I can still hear the announcements for every station up to Exchange Place from Hoboken in my head to this day! Still looks and sounds the same as when I was a student at St Peters Prep 13 years ago!

I don't know if you have taken the AmTrak Line between Raleigh thru Charlotte (connecting The Carolinas to New Orleans to the South and New York to the North). It's known as the Carolinian. I hear its a nice train and ride.

Thanks for bringing us an awesome transit system! Hopefully it’ll be expanded to Staten Island. That would be awesome!!!

Hi Tom, listen I need a hand, vacation, first time in United Stales, our hotel is Fairfield Inn and suites North Bergen I NEED TRANSPORTATION DAILY TO MANHATTAN, could you please explain to me what I have to do?

Kind of annoys me that it doesn't go north far enough to Englewood.

Are these the type of trains that they plan on using in the interborough express between Brooklyn and queens?

Brilliant video sir, was Lyndsey keeping an eye on you?

Any New Yorkers want to fill me in, are hotels and airBnBs cheaper in Long Island City as well? Thom did say NJ hotels and AirBnbs are affordable.

I’m yet to ever see anyone check tickets. Wonder how many people actually pay…

I feel like the biggest thing it needs is frequency. It's so bad outside of rush hour. I have had to wait 20 minutes for a train! A Staten Island extension wouldn't work well due to a complicated fare structure and the fact that agencies have trouble crossing state lines. And Meadowlands should be served by better rail service to Secaucus and some other places.

let's go england to beamish tram museum and blackpool tram and seaton tramway

I hope you didn't get caught fanning on PATH 😅

yoo

Kinda nuts there doesn’t even seem to be a bus link, between end of SIRT, and the HBLR! Making the trek next weekend to ride both with friends, and gonna have to bus as close to the bridge into Jersey as possible, then uber/lyft/cab to the first HBLR stop.

Kinki Sharyo is also seen in Dallas, Phoenix, where I live (San Jose) and Los Angeles and Boston. The other tram line called Newark Lightrail was all PCCs prior to 2001. This I knew through old photos I have. Have you by chance also seen me post this link in your MARTA video? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9tro_L%C3%A9ger_de_Charleroi