North Brunswick Train Station Project Enters First Phase

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ – Middlesex County on Thursday announced it will move forward with the design, engineering and construction of the proposed North Brunswick train station. This marks a major landmark in the long-awaited project along Route. 1 in North Brunswick Township.

The county said it reached an agreement with NJ Transit, and will be welcoming proposals for design and engineering in the next few days. This is the first of a six-phase development plan for the train station. This phase will cost an estimated $5 million.

The train station will be located in the existing North Brunswick Transit Village off Route. 1, on the Northeast Corridor Line, one of NJ Transit's busiest lines.

“Our collective proactive efforts demonstrate our ongoing commitment to commuters, businesses and residents to ensure that this train station is completed with the highest standards of design, engineering and safety and finished expeditiously,” Freeholder Ronald G. Rios said during a virtual press conference.

Rios said the train station will bring relief to the state’s busiest rail lines, reduce traffic on Route. 1, and attract new revenue to the region. “And for the county, the project has become emblematic of our continuous focus on forward momentum and prosperity for all our residents, businesses, and partners,” he said.

Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that a memorandum of understanding has been reached to lay the groundwork to build the train station.

Read More Here: North Brunswick Train Station Gets Major NJ Transit Approval

Middlesex County is partnering with the New Jersey Department of Transportation, NJ Transit, North Brunswick Township, and Middlesex County Improvement Authority (MCIA) for the project.

No timeline has been released yet for the completion of the project. MCIA Executive Director, James Polos said the county will release a tentative timeline in the next few days.

MCIA will serve as the project manager for the train station – something the NJ Transit is allowing for the first time.

Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, NJDOT Commissioner and NJ Transit Chair, said the new transit line will spur economic growth in the region.

“The uniqueness of this particular project is it creates community... It creates community by building a transit village where people can learn to live work and play in that area, creates a phenomenal opportunity for young families who may want to be able to go without a car,” said Gutierrez-Scaccetti.

The $50 million dollar project will be funded through the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund. The MCIA said it obtains financing at very low-interest rates allowing major capital ventures to be undertaken without increasing County taxes, in most cases.

Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit President and CEO said the project is a good example of how to utilize a public trust fund efficiently. “That fund is meant to build projects - transportation projects, mobility projects, projects that allow people to walk, bike drive, or use public transit. Whether it be train, bus or light rail. So I think for those that look at the trust fund and wonder what we do with it, this is a shining example of the good work that the trust fund can do for New Jersey,” said Corbett.

With the building of the train station the county hopes to create more economic development in the Central Jersey region.

“The North Brunswick train station embodies Middlesex County’s vision of Destination 2040 and its economic goals. As we move this project forward, we will be creating investment opportunities which will create jobs and new tax rate levels. This will not only benefit North Brunswick, but the County and the region as a whole,” said MCIA Chairman James Nolan.

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