Middlesex County Releases Design for Northeast Corridor’s North Brunswick Train Station
Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
An artist rendering of the approved North Brunswick Train Station concept design. The design is subject to change upon completion of the final design.
Rendering courtesy of Middlesex County
The Middlesex County Improvement Authority has unveiled the initial concept design for the North Brunswick Train Station project, which would add a new station to the Northeast Corridor Line.
The MCIA said Feb. 7 that the formal approval by NJ Transit of 10% of the concept design is a “significant design milestone.” The MCIA also launched a North Brunswick Train Station project web portal to keep stakeholders up to date on project developments.
“This milestone is significant because all partners in this project have agreed to baseline design and criteria,” said Executive Director H. James Polos. “The approval allows us to immediately proceed with the next phase of design, which is more technical and detailed.”
James Nolan, chairman of the MCIA, said the design team meets regularly, with representatives from all agencies involved to help streamline what would otherwise be a “very cumbersome and lengthy process.”
“Collaboration as the design process progresses will be a major benefit to moving this project forward in an expedited manner,” Nolan said.
The North Brunswick Train Station Project gained momentum with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the MCIA and NJ Transit in late 2020.
The MOU allows the MCIA to serve as the project manager. According to the agreement, the MCIA collaborates with and gains input from Middlesex County, the township of North Brunswick, its developer, NJ Transit, Amtrak, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
“We are pleased to continue coordinating with our partners at Middlesex County to advance the North Brunswick station project,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett. “This project will add a new station stop in the heart of the Northeast Corridor, our busiest rail line, providing additional access to mass transit, taking cars off the congested highways and reducing emissions while driving economic activity in Middlesex County.”
The New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund has committed $50 million toward the project’s funding. The Southbound Platform will be built during this phase of work, and a provision will be made to extend an existing pedestrian overpass to service a potential future Northbound/Eastbound side, a release said.
With the essential funds and agreements in place, design and early engineering work started in October of 2021, MCIA said. The conceptual design direction was provided in January of 2022, and the design team worked during the summer to complete the technical details.
