Avenel station

Avenel is an active commuter railroad station in the Avenel section of Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Servicing trains of NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line, the station serves trains going to Long Branch and Bay Head to New York Penn Station. Avenel station serves as the first (going south) and last (going north) stop of standalone North Jersey Coast Line service, with the line merging into the Northeast Corridor Line at Rahway. The next station to the south is Woodbridge while the next station north is Rahway. Avenel station consists of two high-level side platforms that cross over Avenel Street (County Route 650).

History
From 1985 to 2019 there was no weekend service and limited weekday service, but on September 8, 2019 increased weekend service debuted at Avenel along with increased weekday service, with a further increase on November 8, 2020.

Station layout
Avenel has two short three-car high-level side platforms on two tracks. It had been slated for closing by NJ Transit because of the excessive costs of adding elevators for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Accessible ramps were installed instead to each platform at their southern ends.

The station is located directly over Avenel Street, which has a staircase on its northern sidewalk going up to each platform. The staircase to the New York-bound platform is enclosed while the one to the Long Branch-bound platform is exposed alongside the overpass. At the top of the stairs, each platform has a double long bus shelter with a white domed roof and bench.

The platforms have an additional entrance/exit at their southern ends. On each side, a twisting ramp and staircase goes to the service roads of Avenel Street. A pedestrian tunnel with staircases down at each end and concrete entry portals connect the platforms. The station's only ticket machine, installed in May 2011, is located in a bus shelter along the end of the street beneath the Newark-bound platform.