New Jersey Railroad Jobs

Last revised: February 23, 2023

New Jersey's history with railroads dates back to the earliest days of the industry when the Camden & Amboy was chartered in 1830 (just three years after the Baltimore & Ohio).

If you are interested in New Jersey railroad jobs, today the state is still home to several companies including two Class Is (CSX Transportation and Canadian Pacific), one Class II (the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway), and a handful of smaller Class III, short lines.

Today, New Jersey mostly originates mixed, scrap, or waste freight hauled by rail as combined they make up 61% of the state's total.

The information provided here is to aid job searches in highlighting those railroads which currently operate within the state.

Working in the railroad industry is not a career suited for everyone.

So, if you are unfamiliar with trains and their operations you may want to take the time to learn more about them before deciding if it is truly something you want to do.

Being a railroader is a very tough requiring one to be away from home and family on a regular basis.

While hiring on with a smaller railroad offers better hours, Class Is offer the best pay in the industry along with excellent retirement and benefits (some Class I railroaders are able to earn a six-digit salary in a single year).

Also, if you are either in or plan to attend college and are interested in the fields of business (such as accounting, management, or economics) you may want to check out the career pages of the Class Is.

Many offer summertime internships and graduate programs to help potential candidates get their "foot in the door" so to speak before they finish college (while the programs are aimed at grooming potential new employees they offer excellent experience for whatever field you ultimately choose).

Finally, the contact information listed below is accurate to my knowledge and I do apologize for any errors you may come across.

Class I Railroads/Amtrak

Amtrak

CSX Transportation

Norfolk Southern Railway

Short Lines And Regionals

Belvidere & Delaware River Railway: This short line operates between West Easton, Phillipsburg, and Milford serving a handful of customers. It also hosts excursions and passenger trains. For employment information please visit the B&DR's web page.

Black River & Western Railroad: This short line was started in 1961, initially as a tourist railroad planned by a father and son but currently also hosts freight service between Flemington and Three Bridges.

Today, it is owned by the Black River Railroad, which can be contacted regarding job openings and career opportunities.

Cape May Seashore Lines: This freight line and tourist railroad operates former Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines trackage totaling about 27 miles between Tuckahoe, Cape May City and Sunset Beach. For contact information please visit the CMSL website.

Dover & Delaware River Railroad: A division of Chesapeake & Delaware, LLC this short line launched in early 2019 by leasing 109 miles of Norfolk Southern/New Jersey Transit trackage east of Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

At Morristown it interchanges with historic short line Morristown & Erie. Other connections include Newark, Berkeley Heights, Totowa, Succasunna, and Dover.

Dover & Rockaway River Railroad: This short line began service on July 1, 2017 when it took over freight operations on three branches owned by Morris County. These lines had previously been operated by the Morristown & Erie.

Its lines include the Chester Branch (Lake Junction-Succasunna, ex-Lackawanna/Erie-Lackawanna/Conrail), High Bridge Branch (diverges from the Chester Branch at Ferromonte Junction and ends at Bartley Road near Flanders, ex-Jersey Central/Conrail), and the Dover & Rockaway Branch (Wharton-Rockaway, ex-Jersey Central).

East Jersey Railroad & Terminal Company: This small terminal road operates about 2 miles of trackage in Bayonne and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International-Matex Tank Terminals.

Hainesport Industrial Railroad: This terminal road provides service in the Hainesport area. It maintains its own website where contact information is available.

New Jersey Rail Carriers, LLC: This terminal railroad provides switching services for industries located in or near Kearny. Address: 65 Central Avenue, Kearny, New Jersey 07032.

New York New Jersey Rail, LLC: This terminal railroad, in operation since 2006, provides switching services between Jersey City, New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York. It is the last surviving carfloat railroad remaining on the harbor. Please visit their website for employment information.

New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway: This historic regional, also affectionately known as the "Susie-Q", dates back to 1881 and today connects New Jersey, New York, and northeastern Pennsylvania.

It handles a wide variety of freight business. Please visit their website for job opportunities.

Raritan Central Railway: This short line is based in Edison, New Jersey and services customers along the Raritan River. The company maintains its own website and may be contacted there.

SMS Rail Service, Inc.: Also known as SMS Lines, this short line provides rail service for the Bridgeport, New Jersey region as well as Guilderland, New York.

It has been in operation since 1994 and is known for its use of historic Baldwin road-switchers, all of which are now more than a half-century old. Please visit the company's website for contact information.

Southern Railroad Company Of New Jersey: This road, owned by J.P. Rail, Inc., initiated service in 1991 on ex-Jersey Central trackage between Winslow and Vineland, about 15.5 miles. It also operates about 31 miles between Winslow and Pleasantville.

Morristown & Erie Railway: The historic Morristown & Erie dates back to 1903 and currently maintains a handful of branches in New Jersey including a section of its original main line. For contact information please visit the M&E website.

Winchester & Western Railroad: The W&W's primary line runs from Gore, Virginia to Hagerstown, Maryland although the company also has New Jersey operations.

The company was chartered in 1916 to haul forest products. In 1986 it acquired the former PRR between Winchester and Williamsport, Maryland allowing it to reach Hagerstown (54 miles in all).

It also operates trackage in Virginia. The company does not maintain a website. Address: 126 East Piccadilly Street, Winchester, Virginia 22601.

Electro-Motive Database

In 1998 a gentleman by the name of Andre Kristopans put together a web page highlighting virtually every unit out-shopped by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division.

Alas, in 2013 the site closed. However, Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his UtahRails.net site (another fine resource).

If you are researching anything EMD related please visit this page first. The information includes original numbers, serials, and order numbers.

Researching Rights-Of-Way

A popular pastime for many is studying and/or exploring abandoned rights-of-way.

Today, there are tens of thousands of miles scattered throughout the country. Many were pulled up in the 1970's and 1980's although others were removed long before that.

If you are researching active or abandoned corridors you might want to check out the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Historical Topographic Map Explorer.

It is an excellent resource with thousands of historic maps on file throughout the country. Just type in a town or city and click on the timeline of maps at the bottom of the page!