David Alff’s new book, The Northeast Corridor, is a history of America’s most important railroad, and the region it has defined for almost 200 years. The book explores through words, photographs, blueprints, and diagrams how trains transformed an arch of Atlantic shoreline into a world political capital and global financial hub, and home to over fifty million people.

This presentation will focus on the corridor’s impact on New Jersey, from John Stevens’s receipt of the nation’s first rail charter in 1815 to the rise of the Camden & Amboy and New Jersey Railroads to the Pennsylvania Railroad’s construction of the electrified right of way that commuters ride over today. As Amtrak launches massive infrastructural projects to replace the Portal Bridge and North River Tunnels, my talk will look back at the long history that brought us to the present, and what it means for the Garden State’s transit future.

Anyone interested in purchasing Alff’s book should click here. Use the promotional code UCPNEW to receive a 30% discount.

For In-Person Attendees (UPDATE: 6/11/24): Due to A/C issues, this meeting will be held in the St. Joseph Conference Room in St. Joseph Hall at Saint Elizabeth University in Morristown, NJ. St. Joseph Hall is located across the parking lot from our usual meeting location, Rainis Auditorium. Student volunteers will help direct attendees. For printable driving directions, please click here. Doors open at 7:00 PM, the membership portion of the meeting will start at 7:30 PM, and the presentation should begin around 8:00 PM.

For Virtual Attendees: All of our membership meetings are simulcast on Zoom and our Facebook page. The membership portion of the meeting begins virtually at 7:30 PM. The presentation should begin around 8:00 PM. For Zoom, click here to register in advance for this meeting. Virtual attendees will need to register in advance for the meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Admission is free and all are welcome to attend!

Your membership dollars help keep these meetings free for all to enjoy. Join today here. Or, you can support us by sending a donation here.