Work Begins On Train Depot

It’s been nearly a decade since discussions first started about repairing and restoring the Victorian Red Bank train depot, a more than century-old building that has started to show its age, .

Tuesday afternoon, an erected fence surrounded the depot, which sits just feet from the rail line, and hard-hatted construction workers hoisted themselves to the second floor with a lift to survey the situation in preparation for the building’s restoration.  

The restoration project being carried out by NJ TRANSIT, which has been estimated at more than $1 million, includes a new roof and other much-needed cosmetic changes, including a complete stripping and repainting of the depot. On close inspection, the depot is showing significant disrepair. Windows are broken and boarded up, wooden trim is cracked in spots, and the salmon-colored paint that adorns the depot currently is peeling almost everywhere.

Though the borough is not responsible for flipping the bill on the project, its council and Historic Preservation Commission have been involved in the planning and keen on seeing the depot finally get its repairs.

Commission Chairman George Bowden said he was disappointed to see the building fall into disrepair, considering it’s often the first thing people see as they enter Red Bank via train. It’s also got plenty of historical significance too as it’s one of just three stick-built station depots remaining in New Jersey. It’s also been around long enough to see a visit from the king and queen of England and the two Roosevelt Presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Teddy Roosevelt.

The Red Bank Train Station was also as the Daniel J. O’Hern Station – Red Bank New Jersey, named in honor of Justice O’Hern, a state Supreme Court Justice and former Red Bank Mayor.