PD Draw

The Central Railroad of New Jersey's Passaic River Bridge was a 2 track movable railroad bride that crossed the Passaic River, between Newark and Kearny, New Jersey. The bridge was of a swing design, where the center section moved on a pivot to allow for river traffic to pass.

Going in a northward direction from where the Passaic River splits off from Newark Bay this bridge is the first along the river being located along mile point 1.2. This bridge was part of what was first the Newark and New York Railroad, and later became part of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, and was referred to as the Newark and New York branch. The New York and Newark branch formed a direct route between the railroads Jersey City terminal, and its Broad Street station in downtown Newark.

In February 1946, a freighter damaged the railroads bridge over the Hackensack River, and when it was decided not to repair that bridge the railroad branch ceased as a through route. From that point until April 29, 1967 the Pasasic River bridge was used for local passenger service between Broad Street Station and Kearny, and local freight train service. Kearny station was an important stop for the railroad for it was within walking distance of the Western Electric plant and other key industries. The railroad also ran through train service from point on its mainline to the Kearny station, the last such service was a weekday rush hour train between Plainfield and Kearny, that ran until April 29, 1967. To minimize maintenance costs the bridge was reduced from 2 tracks to 1 during the 1950s.

After the Aldene Plan took effect the bridge was used for a few years for local freight service, but was taken out of service with the creation of Conrail on April 1, 1976.

At some point in the late 1980s, the center span of the bridge was floated downriver and replaced the center swing span of New Jersey Transit's Raritan Bay bridge. The approach tracks and trestles were left in place.

References

• "Lower Passaic River Restoration Project Commerical Navigation Analysis" (PDF).
• Trains Magazine, May 1946, Costliest Railroad, Half Abandonded.
• Jersey Central Lines in Color, Volume 3.