Raritan Valley Line

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. In peak years of service the line was the basis for trains such as the Queen of the Valley and the Harrisburg Special, reaching as far west as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Until 1967 CNJ service terminated at the company's Communipaw Terminal in what is today Liberty State Park.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LkXXZfRFRM0C|title=Railroads of New Jersey: Fragments of the Past in the Garden State Landscape|last=Treese|first=Lorett|date=January 1, 2006|publisher=Stackpole Books|isbn=9780811732604|language=en}} 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.

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.thorpefamily.us/bayonne.html |title=Conrail/NJ DOT end Bayonne shuttle |publisher=Thorpefamily.us |access-date=June 27, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007055759/http://www.thorpefamily.us/bayonne.html |archive-date=October 7, 2011 }}

The former CNJ Main Line was conveyed to Conrail on the former's bankruptcy in 1976. Conrail sold the line to the state of New Jersey in 1978 but continued to operate commuter service under contract.{{cite news|title=State buying rail network, 130 stations | last=Catino | first=Jean E.|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23789134/state_buying_rail_network_130_stations/|newspaper=The Courier-News|date=September 15, 1978|page=4|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = September 16, 2018 }} {{free access}} Service on the line was cut back from Phillipsburg to High Bridge on January 1, 1984.

Trains initially could not go beyond Newark Penn Station to New York Penn Station because the locomotives were 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.{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Frassinelli |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |title=NJ Transit unveils first dual-mode locomotive in North America |date=May 11, 2011 |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/nj_transit_to_unveil_dual-mode.html}} Limited service to New York Penn Station started as a pilot program on March 3, 2014. Select trains provide one-seat rides to New York. This original "pilot project" schedule has been subsequently expanded to include additional trains, but is limited to off-peak hours due to capacity issues in the Hudson River tunnels.

Unlike the Northeast Corridor, the majority of stations 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/r0060.pdf |title=Raritan Valley Line |publisher=NJ Transit |access-date=June 27, 2012}}

In September 2018, all Raritan Valley Line service was truncated to Newark Penn Station to allow for positive train control installation. Direct service to New York resumed on November 4, 2019.{{cite web |url=https://www.njtransit.com/sa/sa_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=ServiceAdjustmentTo&AdjustmentId=20667 |title=Raritan Valley Line Direct Service to New York Returns on Off-Peak Trains - Beginning Monday, November 4, 2019 |publisher=NJ Transit |date=October 14, 2019}}

Since it is not electrified, the Raritan Valley Line requires diesel locomotives. The locomotives originally consisted of the GP40PH-2(A and B) and Alstom PL42AC with a 5- or 6-car set of Comet series coaches. Since late 2008, Bombardier Multilevel Series Coaches were added and displaced most of the Comet coaches. As of late 2013, the trainsets' consist use an ALP-45DP and a 6- to 8-car set of Multilevels. However, some occasional trains use the Comet coaches coupled with a PL42AC or an ALP-45DP. Some GE P40DC locomotives were occasionally used on the line between 2007-2009.

With the initiation of select, direct, service to New York Penn Station 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" between Raritan/High Bridge and Penn Station in New York. Switching of modes is performed at Newark. The line's rolling stock is stored at the Raritan Yard, the line's only rail yard, located just west of the station of the same name. All eastbound trains change crews here and trains are normally stored here overnight. This is also one of four fueling facilities for NJT locomotives, the other three being Hoboken Terminal, Port Morris, and the Meadows Maintenance Complex. All trains terminating in Newark head to the Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny, New Jersey to be stored.

In May and June 2018, NJ Transit leased 10 MARC coaches to be exclusively operated on the Raritan Valley Line. These cars have since been sent back to MARC.{{Cite press release |title=NJ Transit leasing cars from Maryland |date=May 2, 2018 |publisher=NBC New York |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/NJ-Transit-Adds-New-Train-Cars-to-Ease-Overcrowding_New-York-481427231/}}

Service beyond High Bridge to Phillipsburg Union Station in Phillipsburg was discontinued in December 1983 because of low ridership.{{cite news|last=Kraft|first=Randy|title=Phillipsburg-to-New York City run by train service will end Dec. 30 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23784164/phillipsburgtonew_york_city_run_by/|newspaper=The Morning Call|date=December 15, 1983|page=22|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = August 4, 2019 }} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.nycroads.com/roads/I-78_NJ/ |title=nycroads.com |publisher=nycroads.com |access-date=June 27, 2012}}

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 the late U.S. Congressman Bob Franks, sought cost-effective ways to improve mobility, reduce highway congestion, and increase transit ridership along the Raritan Valley Line. Their study was completed in January 2010.Flood, Danielle; Mustac, Frank (July 1, 2009). [http://www.nj.com/reporter/index.ssf/2009/07/nj_transit_analyzing_recommend.html "NJ Transit Analyzing Recommendations Made in I-78 Corridor Study"]. New Jersey On-Line. 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..."Hausman, Daniel (February 13, 2007). "Perrucci Pitches P'burg as Place To Do Business, Says Region a Good Candidate for Rail Service" The Express-Times.

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.{{citation needed|date=February 2014}}

In 2010, Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. promoted the restoration of rail service to Easton or Phillipsburg and possibly Allentown or Bethlehem.{{cite news |title=Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. says rail study 'has holes,' plans own task force |date=June 7, 2010 |first=Douglas B. |last=Brill |newspaper=The Express-Times |url=http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1275883506119710.xml&coll=3}}

In 2021, Amtrak placed service to Allentown via the Raritan Valley Line in their 2035 plan.

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 which is the current day CSX Transportation Trenton Subdivision, the NJ Transit rail service on the Trenton Subdivision would be NJ Transit's version of 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.[http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=Project016To West Trenton Line], New Jersey Transit. Retrieved April 5, 2008.

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{{Commons category|Raritan Valley Line (New Jersey Transit)}}

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Category:Central Railroad of New Jersey

Category:NJ Transit Rail Operations

Category:Transportation in Hunterdon County, New Jersey

Category:Transportation in Somerset County, New Jersey

Category:Transportation in Union County, New Jersey