Editing Northern Branch (section)

=== Conrail & CSX ===
[[File:Northern Running Track-Marion Junction.jpg|thumb| Single running track under the [[Pulaski Skyway]] connects to the Passaic and Harsimus Line at Marion Junction. ROW previously also connected to [[Bergen Hill Cut]] and Exchange Place]]
[[File:Northern Running Track Jersey City 1.jpg|thumb|Rebuilt Northern Running Track (left) along ROW where western slope of [[Bergen Hill]]  descends to the Meadowlands. Parallel line originally developed as [[Hudson Connecting Railway]], now [[NYS&W]]. ]]
By the consolidation of Erie Lackawanna and [[Penn Central Transportation Company|Penn Central]] (among others) into [[Conrail]] in 1976, both the [[West Shore Railroad]] and the Northern Branch fell under the control of Conrail.  As trains accessing the Northern Branch in Jersey City had to go to [[Journal Square]] and reverse direction, and the connection included a [[grade crossing]] of Newark Avenue, freight trains typically used the [[New Jersey Junction Railroad]] and West Shore Railroad, renamed as Conrail's [[River Line (Conrail)|River Line]], to go through northern New Jersey.

Around 1994, a short elevated track, known as the Marion Running Track, was built to connect the [[Passaic and Harsimus Line]] towards [[Kearny, New Jersey|Kearny]] with the Northern Branch.  This provided the Northern Branch with a direct connection to other lines heading west and south at [[Marion Junction (New Jersey)|Marion Junction]].

After the breakup of Conrail in 1999, the Northern Branch was divided.  [[Conrail Shared Assets Operations]] retained the tracks from Marion Junction to the CSX yard in [[North Bergen, New Jersey|North Bergen]], known as the Northern Running Track.  CSX was given the remaining section north to Northvale, in addition to the West Shore Railroad running through the yard, known as the [[Bergen Subdivision]] of the River Line.

With [[New Jersey Transit]]'s 2000 creation of the [[Hudson–Bergen Light Rail]] on the River Line east of the CSX North Bergen Yard, freight trains needed an alternate route to get to the CSX Albany Division.  Trains were re-routed via the Northern Running Track to access the [[Bergen Subdivision]] and this part of the Northern Branch became major CSX rail corridor from [[Upstate New York]].  At that time, the Northern Running Track was improved to handle the heavier traffic that had formerly used the River Line on the east side of the [[New Jersey Palisades]].  [[New Jersey Transit]] paid for the project, which included double-tracking the line, changing Marion Junction and Bergen Junction, and building overpasses on Secaucus Road and [[Paterson Plank Road]].  The rest of the Northern Branch continues north to the New York state line, and is a minor spur.