Newark Liberty International Airport Station

Newark Liberty International Airport Station (also known as Newark Airport Rail Station and Newark RaiLink station, and often announced simply as Newark Airport) is a railroad hub on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in Newark, New Jersey. The station provides access to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) via the AirTrain Newark monorail which connects the station to the airport's terminals and parking areas. The station is served by New Jersey Transit's (NJT) Northeast Corridor Line and North Jersey Coast Line and Amtrak's Northeast Regional and Keystone Service trains.

Newark Liberty International Airport
An NJ Transit train passes through the station in 2017.
General information
Location	3 Brewster Road Newark, New Jersey United States
Coordinates	40°42′16″N 74°11′26″W
Owned by	Port Authority of New York and New Jersey[1]
Line(s)	Amtrak Northeast Corridor[1]
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	6
Connections	via AirTrain Newark
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Architect	HNTB
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: EWR
IATA code	EWR
Fare zone	1 (NJ Transit)
History
Opened	October 21, 2001
Passengers
2017	4,253 (avg. weekday)[2] (NJT)
FY 2023	154,824 annually[3] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Metropark toward Harrisburg Keystone Service limited service Newark Penn toward New York Metropark toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke Northeast Regional Newark Penn toward Boston South or Springfield      Acela does not stop here      Cardinal does not stop here      Carolinian does not stop here      Crescent does not stop here      Palmetto does not stop here      Pennsylvanian does not stop here      Silver Meteor does not stop here      Silver Star does not stop here      Vermonter does not stop here Preceding station NJ Transit Following station North Elizabeth toward Trenton Northeast Corridor Line Newark Penn Station toward New York Penn Station North Elizabeth toward Bay Head North Jersey Coast Line Newark Penn Station toward New York Penn Station or Hoboken Preceding station Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Following station Terminus AirTrain Newark transfer at RailLink P4 toward Terminal A
Proposed services Preceding station PATH Following station Terminus NWK–WTC Newark toward World Trade Center
Location

The station, located in the Dayton neighborhood of the city, is accessible only by train. There is no direct pedestrian access, bus service, parking facility, or drop-off area. In 2024, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns and operates the station, announced that the station would be expanded to include street access via New Jersey Route 27 as well as other facilities.^[4][5]

History

An Amtrak Northeast Regional train at the station in 2007

The station opened on October 21, 2001.^[6] The US$400 million (equivalent to US$688 million in 2023) facility was funded through a surcharge on airline passengers.^[1] Construction and operation of the extension of the AirTrain Newark system from the airport to the station is funded by ongoing fees charged to train passengers who use the station.

It is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), the airport's operator, and therefore has a different design from other New Jersey Transit and Amtrak stations, especially the signage, which is the same as used throughout the airport.^[7]

The Port Authority originally intended to name the station "Newark Airport" but changed it to "Newark Liberty International Airport" after the airport's renaming, which honors the victims of the September 11 attacks and the proximity of the airport to the Statue of Liberty.^[8][9]

Unlike most train stations, the facility was designed with no direct pedestrian access, bus service, parking facility, or drop-off area, although all are available at the airport.^[10][11] Amtrak increased Northeast Regional service at the station by one-quarter in July 2024.^[12]

Station layout and service

Northeast Corridor

On the NEC, to the north, it is a 6-minute trip to Newark's Penn Station, where connections are available to the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) system to Jersey City, Hoboken and Lower Manhattan as well as the Newark Light Rail and regional bus services. Secaucus Junction, only served by NJ Transit trains, is 15 minutes away and offers connections to other NJT commuter lines in northern New Jersey and Metro-North Railroad's West of Hudson services. New York City's Penn Station, where connections are available to Long Island Rail Road and the New York City Subway, is a 30-minute trip. To the south, Trenton is a 40-minute trip, Philadelphia is a one-hour trip, and Washington, D.C. is a 3.5-hour trip.^[13][14][15]

AirTrain Newark

Passengers connecting between the Northeast Corridor and AirTrain Newark must pass through faregates and pay a fee.^[16] This fee is included in the price of tickets with the station as the origin or destination (denoted with **EWR**) and the QR code on the ticket can be scanned at the faregate. Monthly pass holders who do not have Newark Airport as the origin or destination for their pass need to use a ticket vending machine (TVM) located on either side of the faregates to pay the fee.^[16]

Platform layout

NJ Transit trains typically stop on the outer platform tracks, while Amtrak trains typically stop on the inner platform tracks. The two center tracks, which do not serve the station, are used by express NJ Transit trains, as well as Amtrak services that do not stop here (the Acela and long-distance services).

PATH extension proposal

Further information: PATH (rail system) § Newark Airport extension proposals

In September 2012, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that work would commence on a study to explore extending the PATH system to the station.^[17] The new station would be located at ground level to the west of the existing NJ Transit station. A storage yard for PATH trains would also be built. There would be a park and ride facility at the stop, with a new entrance to the surrounding Dayton neighborhood, and an overpass to the existing NJ Transit and AirTrain platforms.^[18]

In 2014, the PANYNJ proposed a 10-year capital plan that included the PATH extension,^[19][20] which was approved by the Board of Commissioners on February 19 of that year.^[21] However, in late 2014, there were calls for reconsideration of Port Authority funding priorities. The PATH extension followed the route of existing Manhattan-to-Newark Airport train service, while there was no funding for either the Gateway Tunnel under the Hudson River, or the replacement of the aging and overcrowded Port Authority Bus Terminal.^[22] On January 11, 2017, the PANYNJ released its 10-year capital plan that included $1.7 billion for the extension. Under the plan, construction was projected to start in 2020.^[23][24]

The PANYNJ announced in March 2023 that it was deferring funding for the Newark Airport extension to a future capital plan.^[25] At the same time, the PANYNJ's Board of Commissioners allotted $12 million to plan and design new entrances to the Newark Liberty International Airport station.^[25][26]

References

1. "Newark, NJ – Liberty International Airport (EWR)". Great American Stations (Amtrak). Retrieved January 25, 2023.
2. Kiefer, Eric (February 21, 2018). "Here Are New Jersey Transit's Most, Least-Used Train Stations". Livingston, NJ Patch. New Jersey Transit. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
3. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of New Jersey" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
4. "PANYNJ Board approves $160 million for EWR Station Access project". Mass Transit. March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
5. Fazelpoor, Matthew (March 26, 2024). "$160M project aims to transform transit, airport access for Newark, Elizabeth". NJBIZ. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
6. Gootman, Elissa (October 22, 2001). "New Train Service To Newark Airport". The New York Times. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
7. "Newark International Airport". The SubwayNut.
8. Wilson, Michael (August 22, 2002). "Governors Seek a Name Change for Newark Airport". The New York Times. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
9. Smothers, Ronald (August 30, 2002). "Port Authority Extends Lease of a Renamed Newark Airport". The New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
10. "Newark Airport". NJ Transit. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
11. Dayton Street Transformation Plan (PDF) (Report). Newark Housing Authority. April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
12. "Amtrak Adds 33 More Weekly Northeast Regional Stops at Newark Liberty International Airport" (Press release). Amtrak. July 3, 2024.
13. "Northeast Corridor New York–Washington Schedule" (PDF). March 4, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
14. "Northeast Corridor Schedule" (PDF). NJ Transit. October 14, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
15. "Regional rail connections". Newark Liberty International Airport. September 23, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
16. "AirTrain Newark". Newark Liberty International Airport. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
17. "Port Authority To Undertake Study on Extending Path Rail Service to Newark Liberty International Airport" (Press release). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. September 20, 2012. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
18. "Path Extension Project Public Scoping Meetings National Environmental Policy Act" (PDF). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. November 28, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
19. Reitmeyer, John (November 22, 2017). "Port Authority Pushes on with Plans to Extend PATH from NYC to Newark Liberty – NJ Spotlight". NJ Spotlight. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
20. "Port Authority Unveils Comprehensive, Proposed $27.6 Billion Capital Plan To Revitalize Region's Transportation Assets" (Press release). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. February 4, 2014. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
21. "Port Authority Board Approves Historic $27.6 Billion 10-Year Capital Plan That Focuses the Agency on Its Core Transportation Mission" (Press release). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. February 19, 2014. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
22. Magyar, Mark J. (October 24, 2014). "Christie's Airport PATH Deal Undercuts Rail Tunnel, PA Bus Terminal Needs". NJ Spotlight. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
23. Proposed Capital Plan 2017–2026 (PDF) (Report). Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. January 11, 2017. p. 38. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 2, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
24. Reitmeyer, John (May 1, 2017). "What's the Plan for PATH Service to Newark Liberty Airport?". NJ Spotlight. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
25. Higgs, Larry (March 14, 2023). "New rail station to be built ahead of delayed PATH Newark Airport extension". nj. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
26. "Port Authority Advances Plans To Improve Access To Newark Liberty International Airport And New York City". City Life Org. March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.

External links

• NJT rail station information page for Newark Liberty International Airport Station
• DepartureVision real time train information for Newark Liberty International Airport Station
• Newark Liberty International Airport – Amtrak
• Newark Liberty International Airport – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Newark Airport Amtrak & New Jersey Transit Station (USA RailGuide -- TrainWeb)