The Main Line and Bergen County Line trace their roots to the dense web of 19th-century railroads that once radiated from northern New Jersey toward New York City, originally built by predecessors such as the Erie Railroad to serve growing industrial towns and emerging suburbs. Over time, these routes were consolidated, electrified in places, and reoriented around commuter service as private railroads declined and public operation emerged under NJ Transit in the early 1980s. As service patterns stabilized, timetables evolved from dense, text-heavy railroad booklets—designed for experienced daily riders—into clearer, more structured commuter schedules that emphasized regular intervals, peak-period express service, and consistent branding across the system. By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, NJ Transit’s Main and Bergen County Line timetables reflected not only operational changes like midtown direct service and service extensions, but also a broader shift in graphic design toward legibility, iconography, and user-friendly layouts, balancing the legacy of traditional railroad scheduling with the expectations of a modern regional transit audience.