The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is embarking on an initiative whereby they will convert the old Jersey City Terminal in Liberty State Park (AKA The Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal) and its platforms into mixed-use spaces intended for future community, arts, and cultural programming.

The NJDEP plan calls for the terminal to be sectioned off into 3 areas : 
1). "Historic Train Shed" - a multipurpose venue with movable seating, kiosks, concessions, and small historic exhibits
2). “The Shed Plaza” (outside) - for flexible outdoor gathering space with seating, trees, food trucks, and performance areas
3). “The Terminal Plaza” (outside) - for seating and park programs

Photo : NJDEP's proposed plan for the Jersey City Terminal in their Liberty State Park Revitalization Program

     Though NJDEP acts with good intentions, their plan only offers surface-level appeal.  The NJDEP plan does nothing to satisfy the need for longevity, substance, and year-round functionality.  What NJDEP presents will be, in essence, an empty and underwhelming vision that overlooks the urgent need to preserve New Jersey’s rail history.

     Instead, the old CRRNJ Terminal is far better suited to be restored and converted into a state railway museum – a use that aligns with its original purpose, honors its historic significance, revitalizes its neglected state, and unlocks its full potential.

     Why should the old and half decaying Jersey City Terminal of the long defunct Central Railroad of New Jersey in Liberty State Park be converted into a state railway museum?


8 Reasons Why the CRRNJ Terminal Must Become a State Railway Museum

1). New Jersey Does Not have a centralized, state-level railway museum that has the ability to represent all of New Jersey and its rail history of these 7 decades (1960s to present).  There exist train-oriented organizations, but they have numerous limitations such as : spatial constraints, limited operational hours, restricted scheduling - just to name a few shortcomings.  None can provide the comprehensive, year-round preservation and public engagement that a state-level museum can achieve.

2).  New Jersey Does Not have another chance to make the old CRRNJ Terminal into a railway museum.  New Jersey missed its first chance to convert the terminal into a state railway museum between its closure in 1967 and the creation of Liberty State Park in 1976.  The current NJDEP redevelopment plans threaten to permanently compromise the site and threatens to jeopardize the potential that this new railway museum can achieve.  This truly is New Jersey’s last chance to act decisively.

3). The next wave of historic trains is about to vanish forever.  Who will save them?  This year and the coming years will see numerous New Jersey–connected locomotives and railcars withdrawn from service, replaced, and scrapped.  If we don’t move fast to preserve them, these irreplaceable pieces will be scrapped and there is no guarantee that they will be preserved, even out of state.  In the words of Nintendo : “Everything not saved will be lost”.

4). No place in New Jersey is more fitting or obvious for this railway museum than the old CRRNJ Terminal.  Located at a corner of Liberty State Park, the CRRNJ terminal is accessible by both personal and public transport and sees countless visitors pass by on their way to the nearby national monuments.  To build elsewhere will invite unnecessary conflict as seen in Cranbury, between a farm and affordable housing development.  It’s not just an appropriate location for a state railway museum, it’s the only location where such a museum could truly thrive.

5). Creating a new rail museum by repurposing existing, disused railroad infrastructure is not a new concept.  Since 2020, Port Jervis in upstate New York has restored its ten-acre historic rail site into the Port Jervis Transportation History Center, now open and dedicated to ongoing preservation.  This year (2025), the Baltimore Streetcar Museum in Maryland is in the process of relocating to the historic 1910 Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad roundhouse.  New Jersey has the same opportunity with the CRRNJ Terminal.  Rather than letting it become just another generic venue, We Must follow this example and transform it into a true state railway museum.

6). This new railway museum has the potential to create jobs.  New Jersey’s job market has been weakened by current conditions, and NJDEP’s proposed “garden” and “event space” would offer only temporary or minimal employment.  In contrast, this new railway museum can provide a variety of permanent jobs in daily operations and long-term economic value.  It also has the potential of inspiring individuals to pursue careers in transportation and rail, thereby helping to build the workforce New Jersey needs.

7). A State Railway Museum can be a living, multi-purpose institution.  While the need for mixed-use community spaces is understood, this proposed state railway museum can achieve that And More, day in and day out.  The in-depth proposal makes the terminal a living institution, more than a place to preserve trains.  It will preserve history while promoting educational programs (e.g. STEAM), sustainability, civic pride, and community engagement.  In its early years, when not every space is filled, The Museum can host community events unrelated to trains, ensuring the terminal remains vibrant and accessible while and until it grows into a permanent, living institution.

8). New Jersey will mark 2OO years of New Jersey railroading in 2030 – What will New Jersey have to show for it?  Converting the CRRNJ Terminal into a state railway museum is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to mark that milestone with something tangible, permanent, and worthy of our legacy.  Let 2030 be the year We open the doors of a new state railway museum and Not the year we look back and wonder why we didn’t fight harder for our history.

Some of the Endangered NJ-connected Trains Wanted by the (my) proposed New Jersey State Railway Museum.


This Is Our Moment
     We cannot stand by while this great railroad terminal of New Jersey is reduced to a generic event space.  We will never get another chance and Time is Running Out.  Decisions are being made right now.  BUT here is still time to change course, AND it will only happen If We act immediately.  A state railway museum in the Jersey City (CRRNJ) Terminal is not just about preserving the past, it’s about creating identity, engaging the community, instilling pride, promoting education, generating jobs, and building a legacy for generations to come.
     PLEASE – Add your name to the petition, Share this, Speak Up. Tell NJDEP and our elected officials that New Jersey deserves more than a garden and rented floorspace.
     Save the Terminal.
     Create the Museum.
     Act Before It’s Too Late.