The graffiti is gone and the doors have been reopened at the restored New York-bound shelter of the Bloomfield Train Station.

The once-vacant waiting room is filled with the aroma of freshly stained wood and the cool breeze of an air conditioning unit that soon will become every Bloomfield commuter's best friend.

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8th Dist.) joined state and town officials at the historic station yesterday to celebrate the renovation and the expansion of Bloomfield's jitney bus service.

"NJ Transit's investment in the Bloomfield Station has not only provided a safer, more comfortable commute for our township residents," said Bloomfield Mayor Raymond McCarthy. "It has restored the historic character of a building that is at the heart of our central business district."

The structure was originally built in 1916 and has been closed since it suffered fire damage in 1991. Last spring, the NJ Transit board of directors awarded a $1.3 million contract to Watertrol Inc. of Cranford to rehabilitate the shelter and restore the boarding platforms.

The renovations included new windows, lighting, seating and heating, as well as, strengthening the roof supports and new roofing tiles. Pascrell said the restoration is part of a larger campaign to make public transit more appealing to Jersey commuters.