The two lines merge towards the west, allowing through trains from upstate New York to continue towards the rest of the country.
[1] In 1861, due to congestion on the PRR cut, the Erie built the Long Dock Tunnel through Bergen Hill and Marion Junction became a minor transfer point.
NY&GL rerouted passenger trains to the Erie's Pavonia Terminal about 1890, and NYS&W did the same in 1911.
Facing east, it was not in the best alignment for freight traffic between upstate New York and points south.
Around 1994,[2] New Jersey Transit paid to modify the junction to point west, as part of moving the River Line to the west side of the Palisades, clearing the east side for the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.