New Jersey Abandoned Its Most Overbuilt Railroad — Now It Wants It Back

Why did New Jersey abandon one of the most overbuilt railroads in America—and why is part of it being rebuilt today? The Lackawanna Cut-Off was completed in 1911 as a high-speed railroad engineered to eliminate steep grades, sharp curves, and wasted miles across northwestern New Jersey. The 28.45-mile line featured massive concrete viaducts, deep cuts, huge fills, and the famous Roseville Tunnel. But after decades of operation, changing freight patterns, railroad consolidation, and declining traffic eventually made the line unnecessary. The tracks were removed in 1984, leaving behind an abandoned railroad corridor that still preserved the extraordinary engineering of the original project. Now, New Jersey is restoring part of the Lackawanna Cut-Off for passenger rail service toward Andover, while plans for New York–Scranton rail service have put the historic corridor back into the spotlight. This is the story of the Lackawanna Railroad, the abandoned New Jersey railroad that refused to disappear—and the engineering decision made more than a century ago that could shape its future again. #LackawannaCutOff #NewJersey #RailroadHistory