The original routing of the Lehigh Valley Railroad's Main Line lies in ruins through the town of Metuchen. This right of way was acquired in 1875 and survived in various forms until its service as an industrial track ended in 1996. This alignment spurs off the 'new' main line (Conrail's Lehigh Line) at South Plainfield and continued to the docks of Perth Amboy. Declining traffic in the Conrail years ultimately sealed its doom. The bridge in the background carried the Reading Railroad (now Conrail's Port Reading Secondary) over the main line. The Lehigh Valley also had a connection to the Pennsylvania Railroad's Northeast Corridor about one mile east of this location. In 2002, three and one half miles of this right of way were purchased from the State of New Jersey to be used as the Middlesex County Greenway, which will convert this into a rail-trail.
