High Bridge - (New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley Line)

High Bridge is the limited-service terminus of the Raritan Valley Line and has been since service was cut back from Philipsburg due to low-ridership in December 1983. This station receives limited service from 7 originating trains and 10 terminating trains per weekday, and no weekend service. High Bridge does not have a train yard so, 5 trains per day, relay in the station, while the 2 early morning originating trains, and 7 evening terminating trains deadhead the 15 miles to and from the Raritan Yard, just west of the Raritan Station that has all day hourly or better service 7 days per week.

The name of the town and station is actually named after the original High Bridge that the Central Railroad of New Jersey built to cross 120 feet above the Raritan River in 1852. This bridge was originally so high and unstable that the original pylons holding up the bridge were filled in with large arches by 1865, these large arches of the railroad still hover above the landscape today.

The train station is located on an embankment along what is a single track main-line with a secondary siding track that ends at a bumper block a short ways beyond the platform. This station has a single low-level wide side platform that can accommodate 3 cars. Passengers wait for trains in front of a boarded up with pink walls and green trim two-story station house, that hovers high above the street below with only entrances from the platform. Green canopy structures extend on each side of the station house and are where most High Bridge (in the non-historic font) sings are hung from and also covers the station’s lone TVM. To leave the platform two staircases lead down on each side of the station house. The main, wider one to the Southeast corner of Central Avenue and Bridge Street, and the second along Central Avenue just south of the depot.

The platform has closed grade-crossing (there is a gate) across both tracks in the middle of the platform. It leads across the tracks to Center Street that is at the same level as the rail embankment with a Mexican Restaurant the view when looking across the platform. The station has no parking next to the station, there is one lot one block west of the station along West Main Street with 44 parking spaces for commuters.
All Photos: March 29, 2013

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Stepping off a terminating train

Bike racks and the longer train of MultiLevels continuing west of the station

The single TVM under the boarded-up station house

Looking down the main staircase to leave the platform that's on an embankment

Sign for High Bridge Station underneath a bike rack (requiring you to carry your bike up the stairs) on the platform

1918 was when the line was when this arched underpass was built under the station

A sign for the High Bridge station which requires going under this low bridge to get to the station entrance

Looking past houses at a train laying over in the High Bridge Station before beginning another trip back to Newark

Sign for the Borough of High Bridge, settled 1700 and the main staircase up to the train platform

Street level under the station house

Boarded up little windows on what was originally the basement of the station hosue

The No parking, station pick-up and drop-off area

The secondary staircase up to the platform from street level

The train passenger pick-up and drop-off zone along Central Avenue under the station house

Heading up the west platform staircase

There is a locked door to the former basement level (although above the street grid below) of the closed, boarded up station house

One door is open on MultiLevel #7717 for passengers heading to Newark on a reverse-peak train

The PL42AC passing the depot on a departing train

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