Exchange Place (PATH station)

Exchange Place
A PA-4 train emerges from the Hudson tubes, into the Exchange Place station in 2004
Location	Exchange Place Jersey City, New Jersey
Coordinates	40°42′58″N 74°01′59″W / 40.7162°N 74.032981°WCoordinates: 40°42′58″N 74°01′59″W / 40.7162°N 74.032981°W
Owned by	Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Line(s)	NWK–WTC   HOB–WTC
Platforms	2 inter-connected side platforms cross-platform interchange
Tracks	2
Connections	HBLR @ Exchange Place NJT Bus: 1, 43, 64, 68, 80, 81 Red & Tan: 4 A&C Bus
Construction
Parking	480-car parking garage
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	1909
Rebuilt	1989[1]
Electrified	600V (DC) Third Rail(PATH)
Traffic
Passengers (2008)	4.988 million[2]
Services
Preceding station   PATH   Following station   Daily service   Grove Street toward Newark NWK–WTC World Trade Center Terminus Journal Square toward Newark   Weekdays only (except nights)   Newport toward Hoboken HOB–WTC World Trade Center Terminus   Former services   Preceding station   Hudson and Manhattan Railroad   Following station Grove-Henderson Streets toward Park Place Park Place – Hudson Terminal Hudson Terminal Terminus

The Exchange Place PATH station, opened on July 19, 1909, is located at Exchange Place in Jersey City, New Jersey, adjacent to the Hudson River at Paulus Hook. The station is served by the Newark - World Trade Center line at all times and Hoboken - World Trade Center line weekdays only. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail has a stop outside the station, also called Exchange Place.

History

Original station

The original Exchange Place station opened on July 19, 1909 at the western end of the Downtown Hudson Tubes adjacent to Pennsylvania Railroad station and ferry terminal. The above ground entrance and platforms were reburbished in the late 1960s / early 1970s after the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey took over operations of the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad.

In the early years of the H&M Railroad, there were a number of incidents, including a derailment on April 26, 1942 that resulted in five deaths and over 200 injuries. In that incident, the train operator Louis Vierbucken was charged with manslaughter, as he was under the influence of liquor. Court records recount that he "began to go faster and faster, disregarding warning signals and curves" and then the train derailed at the station.^[3]

Present day

Exchange Place station exterior

The present-day station entrance pavilion at Exchange Place was constructed at a cost of $66 million,^[4] and was dedicated on September 13, 1989. At this time, the surrounding Paulus Hook area was beginning to undergo revitalization with new office building construction. The station entrance is located approximately 100 feet (30 m) west of the former, original station entrance. The station features three 150-foot (46 m)-long escalators that provide access to the platform level, located 75 feet (23 m) beneath street level.^[4] In 1991, an elevator was installed to make the station accessible for the disabled, in accordance to the Americans with Disabilities Act.^[5] The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail began service in April 2000, initially providing connections to Bayonne.

The Exchange Place station was closed as a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks, due to water damage. Before the attacks, the station served 16,000 passengers daily.^[6] The World Trade Center station was also crucial, as that station contained a loop that enabled trains to turn around and reverse direction. New trackwork was installed at a cost of $160 million,^[6] which included an interlocking to allow the trains to switch tracks, thus enabling trains to terminate at Exchange Place. On June 29, 2003, the Exchange Place PATH station reopened, restoring services to Newark, Hoboken, and 33rd Street. On November 23, 2003, service was restored to the World Trade Center site, with the reopening of the World Trade Center (PATH) station.^[7]

In February 2006, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) established a pilot project to test airport-style security screening at the Exchange Place station.^[8]

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exits/Entrances
M	Mezzanine	One-way faregates, ticket machines, to Exits/Entrances
P Platform level	Westbound	←      NWK–WTC toward Newark (Grove Street) ←      HOB–WTC toward Hoboken (Newport)
	Side platform, doors will open on the left
	Connecting walkway	Cross-platform interchange between platforms
	Side platform, doors will open on the left
	Eastbound	→      NWK–WTC toward World Trade Center (Terminus)→ →      HOB–WTC toward World Trade Center (Terminus)→

Nearby attractions

• Colgate Clock
• Goldman Sachs Tower
• Harborside Financial Center
• Liberty State Park
• Paulus Hook
• Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse

References

1. "Images of Rail: Railroads of Hoboken and Jersey City," by Kenneth French; Page 93
2. New Harrison station Town of Harrison Retrieved 2009-07-26
3. "Motorman on Trial in Fatal Tube Crash". New York Times. 1942-12-15. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
4. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (1989-09-08). "NEWS ADVISORY". PR Newswire.
5. Ross, Bruce (May 1991). "Access for the disabled; Port Authority of New York and New Jersey policy for disabled passengers". Mass Transit. p. Vol. 18 ; No. 4–5 ; Pg. 40.
6. Weiser, Benjamin (2003-06-29). "Closed Since 9/11, a PATH Station Is Set to Reopen Today". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
7. "PATH Service Restoration FAQ".
8. Garcia, Michelle (2006-02-08). "Rail Passengers Screened In Test of Tighter Security". Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-09-04.

External links

• PATH - Exchange Place
• Entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 1970's image of the former Exchange Place H&M Station with PATH Signage (Hudson Tubes Website)