North Brunswick Train Station Gets Major NJ Transit Approval

NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — After many years of waiting, construction of the North Brunswick train station took a major step forward on Wednesday: Gov. Phil Murphy announced that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been reached that will lay the groundwork to build a new train station along Rt. 1 in North Brunswick Township.

An agreement was reached between Middlesex County and NJ Transit to name the Middlesex County Improvement Authority as project manager to oversee the design and construction of the station, which will be funded with $50 million of New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund money. The train station will be located in the existing North Brunswick Transit Village off Rt. 1, on the highly-traveled Northeast Corridor Line, one of NJ Transit's busiest lines.

Residents in North Brunswick, East Brunswick, South Brunswick and surrounding towns have been clamoring for a train station there for years. The implications of this new train station will be far-reaching throughout Central Jersey, providing a new commuting option for residents as far away as Princeton, Old Bridge, Somerset County and in Monmouth County towns such as Manalapan and Marlboro.

This also marks the first time in decades that NJ Transit has built an entirely new train station.

"After years of discussing the need for a train station in North Brunswick, I am pleased to see this coming to fruition,” said Senator Greenstein (D-Mercer/Middlesex). “The new station will help alleviate congestion at existing stations and encourage more people in the area to use public transportation to get to work.”

Wednesday's announcement was a major milestone. However, it will likely be several years before the station opens: The design and engineering process will start immediately and will be completed within the next two years, according to a Middlesex County spokeswoman.

The new facility will fill a "service gap” that now has the longest stretch of the Northeast Corridor rail line — between Jersey Avenue and Princeton Junction — without a passenger station in New Jersey.

In 2006, the 212-acre former Johnson & Johnson property off Rt. 1 in North Brunswick was converted into the Main Street North Brunswick, which promised area residents a train station would be soon to follow. Right now, the site has a Costco, a Target, a few scattered apartment buildings, plus a large billboard that promises drivers passing on Rt. 1 that a train station is coming soon.

The $50 million dollar North Brunswick train station project will be funded through the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund. It also marks Gov. Murphy's commitment to mass transit and moving mass transit-oriented projects forward.

Elected officials in Middlesex County praised Wednesday's news.

“After many years of population growth and building ‘transit villages’, North Brunswick is finally getting its own train station,” said Senator Bob Smith (D-Middlesex/Somerset). “Located on the Northeast Corridor train line, it will allow residents of North Brunswick and the surrounding communities to have easy access to New York and Philadelphia without having to drive to New Brunswick. The creation of the new train station will be an economic boom for the community and for Middlesex County as well.”

“A new train station in North Brunswick will not only be a valuable asset to the community, but will also decrease the number of people who take the train from surrounding stations. This will decrease the amount of traffic in those communities and on Rt. 1, as well as reduce the wear and tear large numbers of people put on the stations’ infrastructure,” said Senator Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex). “Improving how we move people and goods across the state will only lead to more sustainable communities and serve as a catalyst for a successful economy in New Jersey.”