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Newark Liberty International Airport Station

Coordinates: 40°42′16″N 74°11′26″W / 40.70444°N 74.19056°W / 40.70444; -74.19056
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Newark Liberty International Airport
An NJ Transit train passes through the station in June 2017.
General information
Location3 Brewster Road
Newark, New Jersey
United States
Coordinates40°42′16″N 74°11′26″W / 40.70444°N 74.19056°W / 40.70444; -74.19056
Owned byPort Authority of New York and New Jersey[1]
Line(s)Amtrak Northeast Corridor[1]
Platforms2 island platforms
Tracks6
ConnectionsNewark Liberty International Airport via AirTrain Newark
Construction
AccessibleYes
ArchitectHNTB
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: EWR
IATA codeEWR
Fare zone1 (NJ Transit)
History
OpenedOctober 21, 2001
Passengers
20244,137 (average weekday)[2] (NJT)
FY 2024182,119 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
     Vermonter does not stop here
Preceding station NJ Transit Following station
North Elizabeth
toward Trenton
 Northeast Corridor Line Newark Penn
toward New York Penn Station
North Elizabeth
toward Bay Head
 North Jersey Coast Line
Proposed services
Preceding station PATH Following station
Terminus NWK–WTC Newark
toward World Trade Center
Location
Map

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.

The station, located in the Dayton neighborhood of the city, is accessible only by train. A project to expand the station to include direct pedestrian access is under construction.

Station layout

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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.[4]

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).

Passengers connecting between the Northeast Corridor and AirTrain Newark must pass through faregates and pay a fee.[5]

The facility was built with no direct pedestrian access from nearby streets.[6][7]

History

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Opening

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An Amtrak Northeast Regional train at the station in 2007

The station opened on October 21, 2001.[8] $250 million of the US$400 million cost (equivalent to US$710 million in 2024) facility was funded through a surcharge on airline passengers.[1]

Since federal regulations only allowed those funds to be used for facilities exclusively for people using airport facilities, no street access was provided. In April 2001, Hartz Mountain Industries planned on submitting a plan to build a new hotel and conference center on an old rail yard and connect it to the station. To get around the federal regulation, the developers proposed having a concierge desk in the passageway to restrict access to the hotel to airport travelers.[9]

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.[10][11]

Amtrak increased Northeast Regional service at the station by one-quarter in July 2024.[12]

PATH extension proposal

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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.[13] 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.[14]

In 2014, the PANYNJ proposed a 10-year capital plan that included the PATH extension,[15][16] which was approved by the Board of Commissioners on February 19 of that year.[17] 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.[18] 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.[19][20]

The PANYNJ announced in March 2023 that it was deferring funding for the Newark Airport extension to a future capital plan.[21]

Street access

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On March 16, 2023, the PANYNJ's Board of Commissioners authorized the completion of a $12 million study that would plan and design a new street-level entrance to the station from neighborhoods to the west via a new access point on Frelinghuysen Avenue (New Jersey Route 27). This would allow the local community to get improved transit access at a cost substantially lower than a PATH extension. The project was initially expected to cost $125 million, and PANYNJ applied for a $45 million grant from the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant program.[22][21] PANYNJ's Board of Commissioners approved a $160 million contract to build the project on March 28, 2024. Work was expected to be completed in 2026.[23][24] On June 13, 2025, the Port Authority broke ground on the project.[25][26]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Newark, NJ – Liberty International Airport (EWR)". Great American Stations (Amtrak). Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  2. ^ Average Weekday Rail Station Passenger Boardings History, FY 2019–2025 (Report). Newark, New Jersey: NJ Transit. 2025. Retrieved June 1, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal year 2024: State of New Jersey" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2025. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  4. ^ "Newark International Airport". The SubwayNut.
  5. ^ "AirTrain Newark". Newark Liberty International Airport. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  6. ^ "Newark Airport". NJ Transit. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  7. ^ Dayton Street Transformation Plan (PDF) (Report). Newark Housing Authority. April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  8. ^ Gootman, Elissa (October 22, 2001). "New Train Service To Newark Airport". The New York Times. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  9. ^ Smothers, Ronald (April 1, 2001). "THE CITIES; Another Holding Pattern For Newark Airport Plan". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  10. ^ Wilson, Michael (August 22, 2002). "Governors Seek a Name Change for Newark Airport". The New York Times. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  11. ^ Smothers, Ronald (August 30, 2002). "Port Authority Extends Lease of a Renamed Newark Airport". The New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  12. ^ "Amtrak Adds 33 More Weekly Northeast Regional Stops at Newark Liberty International Airport" (Press release). Amtrak. July 3, 2024.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ "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.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ Magyar, Mark J. (October 24, 2014). "Christie's Airport PATH Deal Undercuts Rail Tunnel, PA Bus Terminal Needs". NJ Spotlight. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ Reitmeyer, John (May 1, 2017). "What's the Plan for PATH Service to Newark Liberty Airport?". NJ Spotlight. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  21. ^ a b Higgs, Larry (March 14, 2023). "New rail station to be built ahead of delayed PATH Newark Airport extension". nj. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  22. ^ "Port Authority Advances Plans to Improve Access to Newark Liberty International Airport and New York City". Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. March 16, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  23. ^ "PANYNJ Board approves $160 million for EWR Station Access project". Mass Transit. March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  24. ^ Fazelpoor, Matthew (March 26, 2024). "$160M project aims to transform transit, airport access for Newark, Elizabeth". NJBIZ. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  25. ^ "$160M Newark airport project to boost local transit access (photos)". NJBIZ. June 16, 2025. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  26. ^ "Port Authority Breaks Ground on $160 Million Project to Transform Transit Access for Underserved Newark and Elizabeth Communities" (Press release). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. June 13, 2025.
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