8th Street station is a station on the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) in the Bergen Point section of the city of Bayonne, New Jersey. The southernmost stop in Bayonne, 8th Street station serves as the southern terminus of the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail. Located on an elevated track next to Route 440, the station is accessible at the intersection of Avenue C and West 8th Street. The station, unlike the rest of the line, has a full station depot that doubles as accessibility to tracks per the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The depot is two stories high and contains elevators and access to the platform, which is an island platform with two tracks. East of the station, the tracks merge into one to reach 22nd Street station. The station serves tracks for the local service to Hoboken Terminal along with an express service known as the Bayonne Flyer. The station opened on January 31, 2011 as an extension of service from 22nd Street.
The design of the 8th Street station depot is a similar design to the former West 8th Street station on the Central Railroad of New Jersey that served Bayonne from August 1, 1864–August 6, 1978, when Conrail discontinued service. The station headhouse caught fire on October 19, 1977. Conrail officials abandoned the fire-ravaged station depot. After complaints from local organizations about vandalism and loitering, demolition of the station depot began in February 1979.
History
Jersey Central station
Railroad service through the Bergen Point section of Bayonne began on August 1, 1864 with the extension of the Central Railroad of New Jersey from its terminal at Elizabethport to Jersey City. As part of construction, a new bridge across Newark Bay opened as well as a station at Eighth Street, at the time population center of the city.
The original station depot at Bergen Point station was a two-story brick structure with wooden overhang. Despised by locals, the Central Railroad of New Jersey began construction of new railroad facilities in Bayonne in 1891. Bergen Point station would receive a new station depot, and the old depot would be moved to the Avenue A station further south in Bergen Point. This also included construction of a fourth track through the city in preparation of the widening of the Newark Bay Bridge.
As part of construction, the station's ticket and telegraph offices were moved to a temporary structure. However, instead of moving the old station to Avenue A, the railroad changed plans when they abandoned the older structure on August 11, 1891. Instead of moving the old depot, it would just be razed. In its place, a new stone station depot would be built on the site. The station would be long with an overhanging roof and porte-cochère. With the overhang, the entire station would be long and wide. The new interior would be made of hardwood with antique fireplaces and modern ventilation.
The railroad announced the new depot would be finished by the time it was to open April 15, 1892. However, due to delays, the station depot would not open until April 24.
Service at West 8th Street station remained stable until the opening of the Aldene Plan on April 30, 1967. On that day, Central Railroad service to Communipaw Terminal in Jersey City ended, being replaced by a shuttle to East 33rd Street station from Cranford. All direct service east of Cranford went to Newark Pennsylvania Station. This shuttle remained intact into the era of Conrail, ending on August 6, 1978.
The station depot at West 8th Street fell into disrepair and caught fire on October 19, 1977. Conrail rescued what they could and abandoned the depot. After complaints about being a local nuisance in its damaged state, demolition of the station depot began in February 1979.
HBLR station
New Jersey Department of Transportation and New Jersey Transit announced in 1995 the construction of a new light rail line in Hudson County and Bergen County. Using the former Central Railroad of New Jersey right-of-way operated by Conrail, the agency proposed construction of 33 new stations in the two counties. This included five stations in the city of Bayonne. Stations would be operated at West Fifth Street, West Eighth Street, East 22nd Street, East 34th Street and East 45th Street. For West Eighth Street, the station would be built on the site of former Central Railroad depot, demolished 18 years prior. However, unlike it its predecessor, the new station would be built to utilize and elevated right-of-way. A 52-space parking lot would be built at the corner of Avenue C and Eighth Street, at the time a vacant lot. With accessibility to 4,300 people in a area, the station would be a primary opportunity for transit-oriented development.