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Wikipedia logo This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Raritan Valley Line. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Metro Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA).

The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit, running out of Newark Penn Station, with most trains terminating at the Raritan station and some trains continuing further west and terminating at High Bridge during peak periods (rush hour). As of 2014, NJTransit offers direct "one-seat ride" into NY Penn Station on this line during the off-peak, on weekdays. There is one weekday inbound train to Hoboken Terminal; all other trains terminate and originate at Newark Penn Station or NY Penn Station.

On weekends, trains from Hoboken arrive in Newark Penn Station immediately after the Jersey Coast and Northeast Corridor Lines, all of which arrive on Track 4, while odd-hour trains to Raritan depart from Track 5. Plans are in the works to allow more Raritan Valley Line trains to leave passengers off on Track 1 when arriving in Newark Penn Station, allowing easier transfers to trains bound for Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan; currently, passengers must descend into the station, cross the width of the station, and then ascend to Track 1.

Route description[]

From Cranford west, the line follows the former Main Line of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey. The main line originally ran through Elizabeth and Bayonne to Jersey City, leading to a terminal in what is today Liberty State Park. This station, which served Reading, Jersey Central, and former B & O Washington-Jersey City service, had direct connections, either by chartered bus, or by ferry, into Manhattan, the latter serving the financial district. Under the 1967 Aldene Plan, however, the Aldene Connection was built to the former Lehigh Valley Railroad right-of-way, rerouting trains to proceed to Newark Penn Station via a second connection (Hunter Connection), to the Northeast Corridor.

On Sunday, April 30, 1967, enthusiasts James T. Ryan and Al Holtz in their individual ventures, captured and recorded the first train operating over the Aldene Plan. In a full fledged dress rehearsal for the next day's rush hour commutes, CNJ FM Trainmaster #2411 powered a 15 car push-pull consist with cab car 1321, WABCO equipped and rebuilt from a 1300 series arched-roof coach, leading Eastbound.

Preceding 2014, operation was nearly identical to service in 1968. Passengers bound for New York must disembark at Newark and change either to a Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line train operated by New Jersey Transit to New York Penn Station or PATH trains to the World Trade Center. Passengers must transfer for two critical reasons: Firstly, the CNJ never electrified the line when it was still in business (although there is evidence that the idea was played with on paper), and its subsequent owners including Conrail and New Jersey Transit have never undertaken such a project. Secondly, the right-of-way on the Northeast Corridor between NY and NJ (that which RVL trains would need to travel) passes through the North River Tunnels, which can only accommodate electric locomotives. Even if the tunnels could accommodate diesel locomotives, NYC ordinance from 1900 allows only electric-powered trains to operate into Manhattan below 96th Street. The end result is that a trip between New York and the Raritan Valley Line necessarily requires the use of two trains.

One-Seat Ride Service[]

However, service changed recently. In 2011, NJTransit purchased twenty-six dual-mode locomotives originally intended to accompany the Access to the Region's Core project (ARC). The ARC project would have built (among other things) new tunnels beneath the Hudson river between the existing Secaucus Junction and NY Penn Station, doubling the capacity of the existing North River Tunnels. The project would also have constructed a loop of track allowing three unelectrified NJTransit rail lines (Main Line, Bergen Line & Pascack Valley Line) to enter the Northeast Corridor, and terminate at Penn Station. To facilitate this connection, the dual mode locomotives, Bombardier's ALP-45DP can operate in both diesel-only track and electric-only track. The complete ARC project would have allowed one-seat rides on the three aformentioned lines into NY Penn Station. The ARC project was cancelled in October 2010, However, NJTransit had placed the 26-large order in 2008 and expected them soon.

Despite the ARC project cancellation, the dual-mode Bombardier locomotives provided an opportunity for the Raritan Valley Line, which already has a direct connection onto the Northeast Corridor. Since 2014, NJTransit employs the dual-mode locomotives for a one-seat ride on the Raritan Valley Line, bypassing the need for a transfer at Newark Penn Station. Upon stopping at Newark, The diesel generator is simply switched off and the pantograph is raised, allowing the locomotives to continue into New York without using the diesel generator.

The one-seat ride service operates on weekdays only, off-peak (as with existing NJTransit services, the North River Tunnels are already at capacity during peak times). There are eight weekday trains, five midday and three evening.

On NJTransit's North Jersey Coast Line, the line is electrified as far as Long Branch, and a diesel shuttle service operates between there and Bay Head, the line's terminus. The purchase and use of the dual-mode locomotives to allow occasional one-seat service between NY Penn Station and the line's terminus, where commuters once had to transfer.

Rolling Stock[]

The line is currently served by diesel-electric locomotives, and dual-mode locomotives for the off-peak one-seat ride service: The diesel Alstom PL42AC and the dual mode Bombardier ALP-45DP. The EMD GP-40P and EMD-GP7 operated on the RVL until 2008, when they were put out of revenue service. Both of these locomotive types were inherited from CNJ upon NJTransit's formation.

The passenger cars in use are similar to the cars used elsewhere in NJTransit's system (but exclude EMUs). The cars in service on the RVL include the Comet IIM, IV and V In 2008 Bombardier Multilevel Coaches were introduced to the RVL and make up some of the trainsets in use.

Service to Phillipsburg[]

Service beyond High Bridge to Phillipsburg was discontinued in 1984 due to low ridership. There are plans to eventually restore service to Phillipsburg. Between Bloomsbury and Phillipsburg Norfolk Southern tracks will have to be used since Conrail (the previous freight operator) reconfigured its tracks in the Easton-Phillipsburg area, abandoning the ex-Lehigh Valley main between Easton and Phillipsburg and the ex-CNJ main between east of Phillipsburg and Bloomsbury. This was done so that all trains would cross the Delaware on the ex-CNJ bridge, because the ex-LV bridge was found to be structurally unsound. Where the ex-CNJ was abandoned east of Phillipsburg, a section of Interstate 78 was built on its right-of-way, and only one bridge was built for the ex-LV main and the ex-CNJ tracks removed.

When service ran to Phillipsburg prior to 1984 there were separate passenger and freight lines, Conrail freights used the ex-LV, and Conrail/NJ DOT/NJ Transit commuter trains used the ex-CNJ. This is no longer possible today. There is only one track available between Easton and Bloomsbury for all rail traffic. If Phillipsburg commuter service returns it would tie up the one and only track at Phillipsburg that is used by many NS freights. The ex-LV main is no longer available at that point. A possible solution would be to build a passing siding at Phillipsburg Station so that commuter trains could idle at the station without tying up the main so that freights could pass through.

Service to West Trenton[]

Another plan that has been proposed is to restore service on the former Reading Railroad's Jersey City branch track between Trenton and Bound Brook. Prior to 1983, Conrail commuter trains, using Budd Rail Diesel Cars, used what is now the SEPTA R3 West Trenton line between the former Reading Terminal and Newark (Jersey City prior to 1967 – this allowed the Reading to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad with Philadelphia/New York service, especially with service to the Financial District). Restoration of this line, which is now owned by CSX Transportation, will allow an alternate Philadelphia/New York connection route, with electrified SEPTA trains using the West Trenton line to Trenton, with passengers switching over to NJT service to Newark.

Proposed Station Stops[]

  • West Trenton with transfers to the West Trenton SEPTA Commuter Line
  • Route I-95
  • Hopewell
  • Belle Mead
  • Hillsborough
  • Bridgewater
  • Bound Brook
  • Dunellen
  • Plainfield
  • Netherwood
  • Fanwood-Scotch Plains
  • Westfield
  • Garwood
  • Cranford
  • Roselle Park
  • Union
  • Newark Penn Station

Station stops[]

  • Hoboken Terminal (limited weekend service)
  • Newark Penn Station
  • Union
  • Roselle Park
  • Cranford
  • Garwood (limited service on weekdays only)
  • Westfield
  • Fanwood-Scotch Plains
  • Netherwood
  • Plainfield
  • Dunellen
  • Bound Brook
  • Bridgewater
  • Somerville
  • Raritan
  • North Branch (limited service on weekdays only)
  • White House (limited service on weekdays only)
  • Lebanon (limited service on weekdays only)
  • Annandale (limited service on weekdays only)
  • High Bridge (limited service on weekdays only)

Closed stations[]

  • Finderne
  • Glen Gardner
  • Hampton
  • Ludlow
  • Bloomsbury
  • Phillipsburg


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New Jersey Transit Rail (website)
Hoboken Division Erie Lines: Bergen County LineMain LinePascack Valley LinePort Jervis Line
Morris & Essex Lines: Gladstone BranchMorristown Line
Montclair-Boonton Line
Newark Division North Jersey Coast LineNortheast Corridor LinePrinceton BranchRaritan Valley Line
South NJ and light rail Atlantic City LineHudson-Bergen Light RailNewark Light RailRiver LINE
Connections Aldene ConnectionHunter ConnectionKearny ConnectionMontclair ConnectionSecaucus JunctionWaterfront Connection
Other List of New Jersey Transit stationsRetired New Jersey Transit rail fleet
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New Jersey Transit Corporation
Bus Bus OperationsBus fleet
Rail Atlantic City Line
Main and Bergen County lines, including the Port Jervis LinePascack Valley Line
Montclair-Boonton LineMorris and Essex Lines (Morristown Line and Gladstone Branch)
North Jersey Coast LineNortheast Corridor Line and Princeton BranchRaritan Valley Line
StationsRetired fleet
Light Rail Hudson-Bergen Light RailNewark Light RailRiver LINE
Official websites New Jersey TransitHudson-Bergen Light RailRiver LINE
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