NJ railroad trestle fire smolders into Thursday

🔴 Fires broke out along the Northeast Corridor & on a rail bridge in Matawan

🔴 The fire in Matawan smoldered into Thursday

🔴 Full Northeast Corridor service resumed in time for Thursday morning's commute

MATAWAN — Firefighters remained on the scene of a fire that destroyed the wooden Matawan Railroad train trestle, one of two fires on railroad tracks Wednesday afternoon.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded to the fire in the area of Lake Boulevard and First Street around 2:45 p.m. Along with Aberdeen and Matawan firefighters, they kept the fire away from homes on Lake Boulevard as thick white and gray smoke surrounded their neighborhood.

Aberdeen police said that fire apparatus parked on Atlantic Avenue were monitoring a few of the hotspots and could hinder drivers heading to Matawan Regional High School.

Fire near Lake Boulevard in Matawan (Stephen Sottile Jr. via Facebook)

Holmdel police said winds out of the southeast sent the smell of the fire into the township.

Although close to the Aberdeen-Matawan train station, service on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line was not affected by the fire.

The old wooden Matawan Railroad train trestle was decommissioned in the 1940s and is part of the 24 miles Henry Hudson trail.

Firefighters at a fire along Lake Boulevard in Matawan 3/23/23 (Monmouth County Sheriff's Office)

Brushfire suspends the Northeast Corrior

A fire along the Northeast Corridor tracks in Edison and Highland Park suspended service between New York Penn Station and Trenton for several hours Wednesday afternoon.

Partial service was restored outbound to Menlo Park at restricted speed with full service in place early Thursday morning in time for the morning commute.

NJ Transit police and their Emergency Services Unit worked late Wednesday night with firefighters by pouring water on hot spots, filling a train car with water and cutting down brush.

The fires created large crowds of confused commuters at New York Penn who had no way home. NJ Transit ran buses between Rahway and Metro Park for Northeast Corridor.

Fire along the Northeast Corridor tracks in Highland Park 3/22/23 (NJ Transit)

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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