Northern Branch Corridor Project
What is the Northern Branch?
The Northern Branch is a freight rail line owned by CSX Transportation that runs through Hudson and Bergen Counties toward the New York State border. Passenger rail service on this corridor ended in the mid20th century, and the corridor today consists of densely developed suburban communities with significant roadway congestion and limited transit options.
The Northern Branch Corridor Project proposes extending the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) from its existing terminus at Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen into Bergen County using the Northern Branch right of way. This effort is intended to improve regional mobility, reduce congestion, and support continued economic development.
Project Planning
Regional concerns about rising congestion and limited transit options date back to the West Shore Region Study in the mid1990s, which recommended studying an extension of the HBLR along the Northern Branch.
Between 2007 and 2018, NJ TRANSIT and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and a Supplemental Draft EIS (SDEIS) evaluating a range of light rail extension alternatives, including a Preferred Alternative terminating at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. These documents analyzed benefits, costs, community impacts, and environmental considerations.
In 2021, the FTA issued extensive comments requiring substantial updates to the environmental analysis due to changed conditions since 2007, which was when the FTA issued the original Notice of Intent (NOI). In 2023, the FTA formally withdrew the project’s original Notice of Intent (NOI), citing the all-encompassing changes in the Project design and environmental impacts in the following areas: floodplains, stormwater management, cultural resources, hazardous materials, traffic and parking, and air quality, all of which have occurred since 2007.