In 1834 the New Jersey Railroad and the Paterson and Hudson River Railroad were opened and led to a new era in the history of Jersey City. The New Jersey Railroad extended to Newark, with work in progress toward Philadelphia. Its one car was advertised as "the passenger car 'Washington,' a splendid and beautiful specimen of workmanship, containing three apartments besides seats on top." Regular trips began September 15th, 1834. Eight trips a day were made, going from Jersey City to Newark in one hour and a half. The railroad cut was made by the New Jersey Railroad in 1837, following the line of a water course, and a depression across the ridge, which made it very crooked; the earth from the cut was piled up over one hundred feet high on the land belonging to the railroad back of the Tonnele place. The cars were drawn by horses until the locomotive, the Newark, was used December 2d, 1838.

Beyond where the Boulevard and Pavonia avenue now join, the Railroad Company made a reservoir, which was fed by springs in the hill-side, and from this they supplied their engines with water. Eventually this was incorrectly known as Tonnele's Pond. This road consolidated with the Camden and Amboy in 1867. The consolidation was leased to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in 1870. After they gained control they straightened the cut by blasting out a roadway through the solid rock. The Paterson and Hudson River Railroad advertised its "three splendid and commodious cars, each capable of accommodating thirty passengers, and drawn by fleet and gentle horses." In 1848 the road was extended to Sufferns and the Paterson dock was built to accommodate this railroad line. The "Long Dock Company," incorporated in 1856, completed the Bergen Tunnel January 28th, 1861, and in the following May opened the Pavonia Ferry. From 1853 the road was known as the Erie Railroad Company. The Central Railroad of New Jersey terminated at Elizabethport for many years. In 1860 an act was passed authorizing the company to bridge Newark Bay and extend its line to Jersey City. This extension was completed and opened to travel August 1st, 1864. In 1836 the Morris Canal was completed.

Some of the old inhabitants remember when the European Packet ships anchored in the river and their passengers were transferred to small boats to land them. It was in the decade of the 40's that the first trans-Atlantic steamship lines were established, and the Cunard Company, which was one of the earliest, the second I believe, built its docks at the foot of Grand Street, Jersey City, in 1847. Its first steamer, the Hibernia, sailed on New Year's Day, 1848; it was a great gala day for the citizens, and on behalf of the city Mr. Joseph G. Edge fired a salute of 100 guns. Later the White Star S. S. Company had their docks in Jersey City, but eventually both lines removed to New York. At present the Vogemann and American lines have their freight docks here.