Station’s future may rest with plans for train line
Building seen
as cornerstone
of Freehold Borough’s
downtown district
The future of the public transportation terminal at the corner of Throckmorton and Main streets, Freehold Borough, remains uncertain while NJ Transit studies a plan that could see the return of passenger rail service to Western Monmouth County.
The future of the bus terminal at the corner of West Main and Throckmorton streets in Freehold Borough may depend on NJ Transit’s eventual plans for the proposed Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) passenger rail line.
These plans would include the location of passenger depots along the route that would link Lakehurst in Ocean County and South Brunswick in Middlesex County, and pass through Western Monmouth County.
The borough’s bus terminal, which originally was a train station, could be selected to serve that purpose, although there has been speculation that the MOM plans could call for a passenger depot outside of borough limits, perhaps in Freehold Township.
An environmental impact study that will examine the area along the MOM route is scheduled to be launched later this year.
The borough’s bus station, which borders existing railroad tracks, will figure in this study.
More than two years ago, borough officials made an effort to get money through a state grant to help purchase the station and the surrounding property. The borough’s application for the grant was turned down.
The Freehold Center Partnership, which oversees activities in the downtown area, considers the future of the old train station vital to the well-being of downtown Freehold, according to Jayne L. Carr, the partnership’s executive director.
If the borough had succeeded in gaining ownership of the station through the state grant, the town would have been the lead agency in the operation of the historic building.
Whoever eventually owns the building, the borough or NJ Transit, Carr said the partnership still would like to control its operation.
"We very much want to have control of the operation of the building," Carr said. "We think that is vital to that part of town."
The building would remain a transportation center if the partnership gained control of its operation, Carr said, but it would be much more.
A number of other uses have been mentioned, including using part of the station for a transportation museum.
The old train station, dating back to the early years of the 20th century, was purchased by its current owners, brothers George and Harry Karatzia, in 1985, after it had been vacant for a number of years and was severely deteriorated.
The Karatzias’ renovation of the historic train station earned an award in 1986 from the Monmouth County Planning Board.
However, the building’s deteriorating condition has once again surfaced and gained the attention of borough officials.
Michael Leibowitz, NJ Transit regional manager for government and community relations, has said historic preservation of the station will be a top priority if future MOM plans call for the building to once again be used as a train stop.
In a letter to Leibowitz, Carr suggested that the MOM line could be a great asset to tourists visiting historic sites in the Western Monmouth area.
"The approvals have been made and the project moves forward for a rail trail on the right of way from Matawan to Route 537 in Freehold Borough," Carr wrote. "I see this as a great asset to the business community in Freehold, bringing tourists here who will explore the town and obviously bring in additional commerce."
Carr suggested that after the bicycle riders using the rail trail finished eating and shopping, they could put their bikes on a train car and move on to local historic sites within 5 miles of one another on the MOM line.
"First would be the Monmouth Battlefield State Park where, were the train to stop, a bike trail already exists through the park…" Carr said. "The second stop would be in Tennent to visit the continuation of the Heritage Trail. Old Tennent Church served as a hospital for Colonial soldiers during the Revolutionary War.
"Back on the train, the next stop would be historic Englishtown," Carr added. "Here there are several structures that are historically registered, including the Village Inn on Main Street, which served as a headquarters during the Revolutionary War."
Freehold Borough officials said they believe it is time for the old train station to begin a new phase of its illustrious history.

