Railroads played a key role in the development of Wall Township, beginning with the arrival of the Raritan and Delaware Bay Railway Line in 1864. This line, which later became part of Jersey Central’s Southern Division, established stops at New Bedford and Shark River, connecting the area to major cities. At that time, an express train could travel the 113 miles between Brooklyn and Philadelphia in just over five hours.
In 1873, the Farmingdale Railroad was introduced. Its tracks ran parallel to the Manasquan River before heading north toward Shark River, further increasing transportation options within Wall Township.
The establishment of these rail lines influenced several local communities. New Bedford became a stop on the Raritan and Delaware route. Allenwood and Allaire were served by the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad, which connected Squan Village (now Manasquan) to Jamesburg and linked up with other lines across New Jersey.
Coburgh, also known as Shark River Station, was another significant stop. This village functioned as a transfer point where travelers switched from stagecoach to sea travel. In the late 1800s, summer visitors would arrive by steamer from Manhattan—either docking at Long Branch or traveling via Lower Bay to Shark River Station—and then continue their journey by stagecoach. As tourism increased, businesses such as hotels and general stores emerged to serve visitors.
The construction of the New York and Long Branch Railroad eventually shifted travel patterns by offering a more direct coastal route. This led to a decline in use for Shark River Station.
Today, remnants of these early rail corridors highlight how transportation shaped both the history and growth of Wall Township.
Sources include Old Wall Historical Society’s “A Revised History of Wall Township” (1990), Evelyn H. Snodgrass’s “Wall Township 1671–1964,” Alyce Salmon’s “History of Wall Township,” and the Wall Township Master Plan (1999).
