Hudson Connecting Railway

The Hudson Connecting Railway was a railroad in Hudson County, New Jersey. It was originally built as part of the New Jersey Midland Railway, and is now part of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway.

History

The right-of-way, now part of NYS&W (at right), runs parallel to the Northern Branch

The New Jersey Midland Railway was formed in 1870 as a consolidation of several smaller railroads. The original plan was to cut through the Hudson Palisades near Englewood and run south along the Hudson River to Weehawken, but the company lacked the money to do so, and instead made arrangements to run through the Pennsylvania Railroad's cut from Marion Junction through Bergen Hill in Jersey City to their Exchange Place Terminal.^[1]

The charter for the NJ Midland prevented it from crossing any other railroad to reach the Hudson River, but the route along the west side of the Palisades to reach the PRR took it across the Erie Railroad. So a new company with the same management, the Hudson Connecting Railway, was formed to build the final leg. The line was built in 1873 from New Durham, North Bergen (near the point now known as CP 2) south to the PRR at Marion Junction, with the southernmost part leased from the Erie Railroad's as their original terminus, built as the Paterson and Hudson River Railroad. The Susquehanna Transfer was later built near this point.

The NJ Midland also served as a terminus for the Montclair Railway, which later became the New York and Greenwood Lake Railway.

The NJ Midland went bankrupt and was sold to receivers in March 1875. By December 1878, a dispute broke out between various bondholders, some of whom disputed that the Hudson Connecting Railway should be included in the proceedings.^[2]

On February 21, 1880, the NJ Midland, along with the Hudson Connecting Railway, was sold to Charles Parsons, who represented the bondholders of the first and second mortgages; the two railroads were combined into one. In June 1881 the NJ Midland was consolidated with five other railroads to form the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway,^[3] a name which it still holds.

See also

• New Jersey Western Railroad
• Timeline of Jersey City area railroads
• Northern Branch
• North Bergen Yard

References

1. https://books.google.nl/books?id=c-8VcwgnbOYC&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=west+end+junction+jersey+city&source=bl&ots=MBL1aK6H1C&sig=PGXgDc6wfQCcWiUKavksBz09h0E&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=west%20end%20junction%20jersey%20city&f=false
2. The Midland Railway Suit, The New York Times December 18, 1878
3. • Six Railroads Consolidated, New York Times June 12, 1881 page 5

• Two Sets of Bondholders, New York Times December 16, 1878 page 8
• The Midland Railway Suit, New York Times December 18, 1878 page 2
• New-Jersey Midland to be Sold, New York Times May 27, 1879 page 2
• New-Jersey Midland, New York Times February 11, 1880 page 8
• The New-Jersey Midland Sold, New York Times February 22, 1880 page 12
• Six Railroads Consolidated, New York Times June 12, 1881 page 5