Bound Brook
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Home<New Jersey<NJ Transit Rail<Raritan Valley Line<Bound Brook

Bound Brook is a Raritan Valley Line station located at what is a junction of three railways, just south of the Raritan Valley Line (the ex-CNJ) is the Conrail Mainline Lehigh Line. This line is used by frequently by CSX and Norfolk Southern Freight used by trains mainly to access the various yards and ports in Jersey. It's this same line the Raritan Valley Line uses to reach Newark via the Aldene Connection when it transitions onto it where the lines cross again east of Cranford. The railroads main lines don't actually cross at the station but the freight tracks are parallel and just south of the New Jersey Transit tracks. The CNJ passenger station clearly at one time had more tracks judging from how far away from the 1913 station buildings are from the actual platforms. Today there are just two remaining passenger tracks with two low-level side platforms with a long fence going between them. These platforms just end and drop-off onto the ballast into the mess of four mainline railroad tracks plus the yard tracks that surround the station. Seems like a prime place for trespassers. All station access is from the northside, meaning all Newark-bound passengers must use the one underpass to access that platform.

The main 1913 station house is a single story brick building along the Raritan-bound platform. It is no longer in railway use but houses Mama Rosina's Italian Restaurant set back from Main Street that provides all access to the station. The parking lot in front the station is reserved for restaurant patrons. This parking lot and tiny plaza is named Van Horn Plaza, dedicated to Colonel James H. Van Horn 1881 to 1974 for "his efforts to preserve trees, plantings and beauty in the plaza." Railroad parking is in a series of three lots west of the depot with about 270 total spaces between Main Street and the train tracks. In the middle of these lots (quite far away from the depot) is a tall, modern tower sign with purple supports. The sign only has the station's name on one side and is askew from the top of the tower. The sign looks like its about to fall off. Streetside of the depot, up three steps from the street is a wide canopied porch held up by black support beams. This porch is connected to the depot and the portion in front of the depot is fenced around and used as outdoor trainside seating. The Raritan-bound platform is just above this depot. Access is from each end of the depot up three more steps or one of two short ramps up at each end. The platform is a simple bare strip of concrete with signs and no amenities although there are some benches beneath the porches.

Access to the Newark-bound platform is via an underpass. This underpass is accessed from two staircases, one beneath the canopy on the west side of the main depot, the other from the plaza just in front. It is in this plaza where the TVMs are inside a shelter just before the underpass entrance. It has arched ceilings and simple white walls. 1913 is etched in the concrete as a cornerstone. At the opposite end two staircases up to Newark-bound platform area. These are in a wide canopy shelter to the west of a boarded up brick building that looks like a slightly smaller and abandoned version of the Depot turned Italian Restaurant across the street. A low, black original-looking fence separates passengers from Conrail's Lehigh Line. Along the platform is a secondary siding freight track. The actual Newark-bound platform is about two track width's away. Passengers use one of two concrete walkways across to a very simple platform along a track, directly parallel (with a fence) from the Raritan-bound track. This platform has no amenities except for a few benches (there a few more under the nice, wide canopy from odd middle of the rail yard former station house) and a single white domed bus shelter at the western end of the platform.
All Photos taken on 7 January, 2013

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MLV #7053 leaves the station heading to High Brg as the destination sign says
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High Bridge-bound MLV #7053 leaves the station passing the two depots
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A High Bridge-bound train has left the station
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The fence and side of the nice canopies the extend from the station house
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The canopy that hangs from the platform reaches a cain-linked fence
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A Bound Brook Platform sign on the High Bridge platform
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The area west of the Bound Brook platform
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Sign to take a carry out menu and call your take-out order from the train
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Ads on the staircases to the underpass
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The underpass with its arched roof
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Up a few steps and then either staircase up to the Newark-bound platform
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Sign for Trains to High Bridge
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This freight track must be crossed to reach the Raritan-bound platform, the station house is across the tracks
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The freight siding and nice canopied platform. The real Newark-bound platform and its shelter is beyond
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One of two staircases down to the underpass
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A concrete walkway to the Newark-bound simple platform
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A six car Newark-bound MLV train in push mode approaches
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MLV #7014 passes the freight tracks and approaches the station
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MLV #7014 prepares to enter the station
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Last Updated: 2 March, 2012
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