Raritan Valley Line

Raritan Valley Line
Train #5439, a p.m. peak train on the Raritan Valley Line, about to stop at the Dunellen station, located in Dunellen, New Jersey (2008).
Overview
Type	Commuter rail line
System	New Jersey Transit
Status	Operational
Locale	Northern New Jersey
Termini	Newark Penn Station Hoboken Terminal (one inbound weekdays) New York Penn Station (Non Rush Hour Time (Weekdays Only)) Raritan (full time) High Bridge (limited weekday service)
Stations	20
Daily ridership	21,650 (average weekday)[1]
Operation
Owner	Amtrak (east of Hunter) CSAO (Hunter to Aldene) New Jersey Transit (Aldene westward)
Operator(s)	New Jersey Transit
Rolling stock	F40PH-2CAT locomotives GP40FH-2 locomotives Alstom PL42AC GE P40DC locomotives Bombardier ALP-45DP locomotives Comet Coaches Bombardier MultiLevels
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	80 mph (128.75 km/h) (top speed)
Route map Legend Amtrak Northeast Corridor/LIRR Sunnyside Yard East River Tunnels East River Penn Station New York Hudson R., N.Y./N.J. border North River Tunnels Secaucus Junction Hackensack River Waterfront Connection Kearny Connection New Jersey Turnpike Passaic River Newark Penn Station Newark South Street diverging from NEC at Hunter merging into Conrail Lehigh Line Northeast Corridor NJ 27 Interstate 78 US 22 Union Roselle Park NJ 28 diverging from Conrail Lehigh Line at Aldene merging into CNJ Main Line Garden State Parkway Cranford Garwood Westfield NJ 28 Fanwood Netherwood Plainfield NJ 28 Grant Avenue Clinton Avenue Dunellen Middlesex Bound Brook to Conrail Lehigh Line Interstate 287 Bridgewater West Trenton Line to West Trenton Chimney Rock Spur Finderne Somerville Former CNJ Central Branch to Flemington US 206 Raritan Raritan Yard US 202 North Branch Raritan River North Branch White House Former Rockaway Valley Railroad to Watnong Lebanon US 22 Interstate 78 Annandale South Branch Raritan River High Bridge Former CNJ High Bridge Branch to Wharton Glen Gardner NJ 31 Former DL&W Hampton Branch to Washington Hampton Ludlow Interstate 78/US 22 Bloomsbury Musconetcong River NS Lehigh Line Interstate 78 (line severed) Morris Canal merging into NS Lehigh Line Former LV Main Line Phillipsburg NS Washington Secondary to Morris & Essex Lines former CNJ Bel-Del Connector BDRV Main Line Morris Canal Delaware R., N.J./Penn. border NS Lehigh Line to Easton

The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT), originating at Pennsylvania Station, located in Newark, New Jersey, with most trains terminating at the Raritan station, located in Raritan, New Jersey.

Some weekday trains continue further west and terminate at the High Bridge station, located in High Bridge, New Jersey. Connections to Pennsylvania Station, in New York City, New York, via the Northeast Corridor Line or North Jersey Coast Line can be made at Newark.

As of March 2014, select RVL trains now terminate/originate directly at New York Penn Station as their easternmost terminus, as part of a project to initiate and subsequently expand Raritan Valley Line NYC direct service.

One weekday morning inbound train continues to Hoboken Terminal. At other times, passengers can reach Hoboken and New York City's lower Manhattan and the Financial District via PATH (rail system) service.

The Raritan Valley Line is colored orange on New Jersey Transit's system map. Its symbol is the Statue of Liberty, a homage to the Central Railroad of New Jersey whose logo was also the Statue of Liberty.^[2]

Description

Most of the line follows the main line of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey. Historically, CNJ trains ran on this line, as part of its Lehigh-Susquehanna Division, from Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton in eastern Pennsylvania, through Elizabeth and Bayonne to Jersey City.

Until 1967 CNJ service terminated at the company's Communipaw Terminal in what is today Liberty State Park. This station, which was also served by Reading Company trains to Philadelphia and B & O service to Washington, D.C. and beyond, had connections by chartered bus or ferry into Manhattan (the ferries serving the financial district).

At the end of April 1967 the Aldene Connection opened, connecting the CNJ main line to the Lehigh Valley Railroad (now Conrail's Lehigh Line), and trains were re-routed to Newark Penn Station on the Northeast Corridor via Hunter Connection. This allowed CNJ to end the ferry service between Jersey City and Manhattan, which was losing money.^[3]

Trains could not go beyond Newark Penn Station to New York Penn Station because the locomotives are diesel-powered, and diesel locomotives cannot operate in the North River Tunnels. The introduction of ALP-45DP dual-mode locomotives allows for direct service to New York Penn Station.^[4] Limited, off peak, weekday, daytime service to New York Penn Station started as a pilot program on March 3, 2014. Trains scheduled to arrive at New York Penn Station between 10am and 2pm as well as trains departing between 11am and 3pm provide one-seat rides to New York. The pilot includes 5 round trips, including 2 round trips originating/terminating at High Bridge.^[5]

Unlike the Northeast Corridor, the majority of station stops on the Raritan Valley Line are not wheelchair accessible. Newark Penn Station, Union, Cranford, Westfield, Plainfield, and Somerville are accessible, high-platform stations. Roselle Park has a high platform but does not have a ramp or elevator to the street.^[6]

Rolling stock

The Whitehouse Station

The Raritan Valley Line uses all diesel service, with locomotives consisting of the F40PH-2CAT, GP40PH-2(A and B) GP40FH-2, Alstom PL42AC, and GE P40DC locomotives. It originally used a 5- or 6-car set of Comet series coaches and, since late 2008, Bombardier Multilevel Series Coaches were added and replaced the Comet coaches. Most trains now consist of an PL42AC or ALP-45DP and a six-car set of Multilevels. Prior to the service and the discontinuation of ACES, the P40DC locomotives are now used on the Raritan Valley Line.

With the initiation of limited direct inbound service on weekdays only to New York on the Raritan Valley Line in March 2014, dual-mode Bombardier ALP-45DP locomotives (combination diesel and electric power) were added to the RVL rolling stock to incorporate the "one seat ride" to and from Raritan or High Bridge and Penn Station in New York. The dual powered locomotives will remain on the RVL indefinitely.

The line's rolling stock is stored at the Raritan Yard, the line's only rail yard, located just west of the station. All eastbound trains change crews here and trains are normally stored here overnight. This is also one of two fueling facilities for NJT locomotives (the other is at Hoboken Terminal). All trains terminating in Newark head to the Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny, New Jersey, to be stored.

Proposed extensions

Phillipsburg

Service beyond High Bridge to Phillipsburg was discontinued in December 1983 ostensibly due to low ridership coupled with infrequent service west of High Bridge. Then, in November 1989, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJ DOT) severed the rail line between Alpha and Phillipsburg during construction of I-78. This was done in order to avoid having to build an overpass over the out-of-service trackage.^[7] Trackage was later dismantled between Phillipsburg and Bloomsbury, where the line connects with Norfolk Southern's parallel Lehigh Line. New Jersey Transit could build the stations along the existing Norfolk Southern Lehigh Valley Line towards Allentown or Reading.

Since 1984, there have been repeated calls for resumption of service to Phillipsburg to relieve traffic congestion on the parallel I-78 and U.S. Route 22. The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, formed in 1998 by former U.S. Congressman Bob Franks, is currently looking for cost-effective ways to improve mobility, reduce highway congestion, and increase transit ridership along the Raritan Valley Line. Their study is slated for completion in January 2010.^[8] In addition, real estate developers have touted former industrial hub Phillipsburg as an excellent candidate for restored commuter rail service, saying "P'burg. . .a good candidate for rail service..."^[9]

NJ Transit has been responsive to the idea, and initiated an environmental impact statement. It was determined that service restoration will take approximately four years and cost $90 million.

In 2010 Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. promoted the restoration of rail service to Easton or Phillipsburg and possibly Allentown or Bethlehem.^[10]

West Trenton

Another plan that has been proposed is to restore service on the former Reading Railroad's Jersey City branch track between Ewing and Bound Brook to be called the West Trenton Line, providing a direct link to the SEPTA service of the same name and establishing an additional link to Philadelphia. To date, no funding for the proposal has been secured.^[11]

Stations

Zone [12]	Station[12]	Miles (km) from NYP	Date opened	Date closed	Connections / notes[12]
Northeast Corridor and City Terminal Zone continue east
1	New York – Penn Station (limited service)	0.0 (0.0)	1910		Amtrak: Acela Express, Adirondack, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf, Northeast Regional, Pennsylvanian, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter LIRR: Babylon, Belmont Park, City Terminal Zone, Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Long Beach, Montauk, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson, Port Washington, Ronkonkoma, and West Hempstead Branches NJ Transit: Gladstone, Montclair-Boonton, Morristown, Northeast Corridor, and North Jersey Coast Lines NYC Subway: (at 34th Street – Penn Station (Seventh Avenue)) (at 34th Street – Penn Station (Eighth Avenue)) NYCT Bus: M4, M7, M20, M34 / M34A SBS, Q32 Academy Bus: X23, X24 Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach: New York Airport Service Greyhound Lines: BoltBus, NeOn Megabus: M21, M22, M23, M24, M27 Eastern Shuttle Vamoose Bus
	New York / Hudson county line
	Secaucus Junction (limited service)	3.5 (5.6)	2003		NJ Transit: Gladstone, Main, Meadowlands, Montclair-Boonton, Morristown, Pascack Valley, Lines Metro-North: Port Jervis Line NJT Bus: 2, 78, 129, 329, 353
	Hudson / Essex county line
	Montclair-Boonton, Morristown, and Gladstone Lines diverge at Kearny Connection North Jersey Coast Line service from Hoboken converges at Waterfront Connection
	Newark – Penn Station	10.0 (16.1)	1935[13][14]		Amtrak: Acela Express, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter NJ Transit: Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Lines PATH: Newark – World Trade Center Newark Light Rail: Grove Street – Newark Penn, Broad Street – Newark Penn NJT Bus: 1, 5, 11, 21, 25, 28, 29, 34, 39, 40, 62, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76, 78, 79, 108, 308, 319, 361, 375, 378, go25, go28 ONE Bus: 31, 44 Greyhound Lines
	Newark South Street
Northeast Corridor (Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Lines) diverges at Hunter Connection
Essex / Union county line
5	Union		1832		NJT Bus: 26, 52
7	Roselle Park		1832		NJT Bus: 94, 113
	Aldene Connection between former Jersey Central and current Lehigh Valley Main Lines
	Cranford		c. 1930		NJT Bus: 59, 113 Olympia Trails: Westfield Commuter Service
8	Garwood (limited service)				NJT Bus: 59, 113 Olympia Trails: Westfield Commuter Service
	Westfield		1892		NJT Bus: 59, 113 Olympia Trails: Westfield Commuter Service
9	Fanwood		1837		NJT Bus: 113 Olympia Trails: Westfield Commuter Service
10	Netherwood		1894		NJT Bus: 113, 882 Olympia Trails: Westfield Commuter Service
11	Plainfield		1902		NJT Bus: 59, 65, 66, 113, 114, 819, 822, 896
	Grant Avenue			1967
	Clinton Avenue			1967
Union / Middlesex county line
12	Dunellen				NJT Bus: 59, 65, 66, 113, 114 Suburban Trails: Dunellen Local
13	Middlesex
Middlesex / Somerset county line
14	Bound Brook		1847		Somerset County Transportation: DASH
15	Bridgewater				Originally Calco
	West Trenton Line diverges
	Finderne			2006	Closed due to low ridership
17	Somerville				NJT Bus: 65, 114
	Raritan		c. 1890
18	North Branch (limited service)
Somerset / Hunterdon county line
19	White House (limited service)		1892
20	Lebanon (limited service)
	Annandale (limited service)
21	High Bridge (limited service)		1913
	The following stations have closed since the Aldene Plan was implemented in 1967
	Glen Gardner			1967
	Hampton			1967
	Ludlow			1967
	Bloomsbury			1967
	Phillipsburg			1967
Lehigh Line continues west

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Raritan Valley Line (New Jersey Transit).

New Jersey Transit Rail Operations Hoboken Division Bergen County Line Main Line Meadowlands Rail Line Montclair-Boonton Line Morris & Essex Lines (Morristown Line and Gladstone Branch) Pascack Valley Line Newark Division Atlantic City Line North Jersey Coast Line Northeast Corridor Line Princeton Branch Raritan Valley Line Connections Aldene Connection Lehigh Line Connection Kearny Connection Montclair Connection Secaucus Junction Waterfront Connection Current rolling stock Railcars Comet II/IIB Comet IV Comet V MultiLevel coaches Arrow III multiple units Electric locomotives Bombardier ALP-46/46A Diesel locomotives EMD GP40PH-2/2A/2B Alstom PL42AC GE Genesis P40DC Dual-mode locomotives Bombardier ALP-45DP Work locomotives EMD GP40-2 MPI MP20B-3 Former rolling stock Railcars Comet I Comet IB Comet III Arrow II multiple units Erie Lackawanna MU Cars RDC-1 Electric locomotives PRR/GE GG1 GE E60CP ABB ALP-44 Diesel locomotives EMD F7 EMD E8 GE U34CH EMD GP40FH-2 EMD F40PH-2CAT Work locomotives EMD GP7 EMD SW1500 PRR/GE E44 Proposed lines Lackawanna Cut-Off MOM Northern Branch Passaic–Bergen Rail Line West Trenton Line Other topics Access to the Region's Core Atlantic City Express Service Gateway Project List of stations