Light Rail Coming to Bergen County

RIDGEFIELD, N.J. (AP) - NJ Transit plans to bring passenger rail service to Bergen County along the Northern Branch freight line.

Agency officials, joined by Gov. Jon Corzine and other state and federal lawmakers, announced the decision Saturday. While the project's cost estimate hasn't been completed, preliminary estimates set the price at about $800 million to $900 million.

By extending the Hudson-Bergen light rail system, NJ Transit estimates it will provide significant environmental benefits by taking 8,500 cars off the road each day.

Hearings on the expansion plan could be held this fall, and NJ Transit expects preliminary engineering for the project to begin in 2010. At full operating capacity, the light rail service would operate daily from early morning through late evening hours.