Raritan Valley Line

Raritan Valley Line

Company type	Commuter rail service
Industry	Public transportation
Founder	New Jersey Transit
Headquarters	New Jersey , United States
Area served	Union, Somerset, Middlesex, Essex, and Hunterdon counties, New Jersey
Owner	New Jersey Transit
Parent	New Jersey Transit Rail Operations
Website	www.njtransit.com

Raritan Valley Line

The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) that services communities within Union, Somerset, Middlesex, Essex, and Hunterdon counties, situated in the central and northern parts of New Jersey's Raritan Valley area. The line’s main western endpoint is Raritan station located in Raritan, although certain weekday trains extend further west to High Bridge station in High Bridge. Eastbound services predominantly conclude at Newark, where passengers can connect through integrated ticketing with NJ Transit, the PATH (rail system), and Amtrak to reach New York City. A limited number of trains provide direct service into New York.

This rail route traverses three distinct track segments under separate ownership: from High Bridge to the Aldene Connection east of Cranford on the former Central Railroad of New Jersey Main Line managed by NJ Transit; from Aldene Connection to Hunter along Conrail’s Lehigh Line; and from Hunter Connection onward to Newark and New York on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.

On NJ Transit’s official system map, the Raritan Valley Line is depicted in orange and is identified by the Statue of Liberty icon, symbolizing its historical ties to the Central Railroad of New Jersey’s emblem.

Description

The majority of this line traces the path of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) main line, which was historically incorporated into its Lehigh-Susquehanna Division. CNJ operated trains originating from cities such as Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton across eastern Pennsylvania toward destinations including Elizabeth, Bayonne, and Jersey City. At its height, this route supported prominent trains like the Queen of the Valley and the Harrisburg Special, which reached as far west as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Prior to 1967, CNJ services terminated at the company's Communipaw Terminal, now part of present-day Liberty State Park. This terminal also accommodated services from the Reading Company heading to Philadelphia and from the B & O traveling to Washington, D.C., with onward connections available via chartered buses or ferry routes into Manhattan.

The inauguration of the Aldene Connection in 1967 linked the CNJ main line with the Lehigh Valley Railroad (currently incorporated into Conrail) Lehigh Line. This connection rerouted trains to stop at Newark Penn Station on the Northeast Corridor through the Hunter Connection. Consequently, CNJ was able to discontinue its ferry service between Jersey City and Manhattan due to its lack of profitability.

Following CNJ’s bankruptcy in 1976, Conrail took ownership of the main line before selling it to the State of New Jersey in 1978; commuter rail operations continued under contract thereafter. On January 1, 1984, service was reduced westward from Phillipsburg to High Bridge.

Initially, diesel locomotives were prohibited from entering New York Penn Station because of restrictions within the North River Tunnels. The deployment of dual-mode ALP-45DP locomotives allowed for direct train service into New York Penn Station. A pilot program for one-seat rides commenced on March 3, 2014, gradually expanding but remaining limited mainly to off-peak periods due to tunnel capacity limitations.

Unlike stations along the Northeast Corridor, most stops on the Raritan Valley Line do not offer full wheelchair accessibility. Stations such as Newark Penn Station, Union, Cranford, Westfield, Plainfield, and Somerville are equipped with accessible high-level platforms; Roselle Park has a high platform but lacks ramp or elevator access connecting it to street level.

In September 2018, operations were temporarily shortened to terminate at Newark Penn Station while positive train control systems were installed. Direct service into New York resumed on November 4, 2019.

Rolling stock

The diesel-powered Raritan Valley Line, which is not electrified, primarily operates with diesel locomotives. In its early days, the line utilized GP40PH-2(A and B) and Alstom PL42AC engines paired with 5- or 6-car consists of Comet series coaches. Starting in late 2008, these Comet coaches were largely supplanted by Bombardier Multilevel Series Coaches. By the end of 2013, typical train formations featured an ALP-45DP locomotive hauling between 6 and 8 Multilevel cars; however, some services continued to run with Comet coaches alongside PL42AC or ALP-45DP locomotives. Between 2007 and 2009, there was occasional deployment of GE P40DC locomotives.

With the commencement of direct service to New York Penn Station in March 2014, Bombardier dual-mode ALP-45DP locomotives capable of operating on both diesel and electric power were introduced. This enabled a seamless "one seat ride" from Raritan or High Bridge to Penn Station in New York, with mode transitions occurring at Newark. The line’s rolling stock is housed at Raritan Yard—the sole rail yard on the route—located just west of Raritan station. This facility serves as the crew change point for eastbound trains and typically functions as overnight storage. Raritan Yard is one of four fueling sites managed by NJ Transit, alongside Hoboken Terminal, Port Morris, and the Meadows Maintenance Complex. Trains concluding their runs in Newark are stored at the Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny.

In mid-2018, NJ Transit leased 10 MARC coaches exclusively for use on the Raritan Valley Line; these units have since been returned to MARC.

Phillipsburg

Passenger service extending beyond High Bridge to Phillipsburg Union Station in Phillipsburg was discontinued in December 1983 due to insufficient ridership. Later, in November 1989, the New Jersey Department of Transportation cut the rail connection between Alpha and Phillipsburg during construction work on I-78 to avoid building an overpass over unused tracks.

Efforts to reinstate service to Phillipsburg have been ongoing since 1984, aiming to reduce traffic congestion along I-78 and U.S. Route 22. The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, established in 1998 by the late Congressman Bob Franks, sought to enhance transit accessibility and increase ridership along this corridor; their comprehensive study was finalized in January 2010. Additionally, real estate developers have identified Phillipsburg as a promising location for renewed commuter rail operations.

NJ Transit has initiated an environmental impact statement process for this restoration project, estimating a timeline of approximately four years and a cost around $90 million.

In 2010, Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. expressed support for extending rail service either to Easton or Phillipsburg—and potentially further to Allentown or Bethlehem.

Amtrak’s 2035 expansion plan announced in 2021 includes proposals for service reaching Allentown via the Raritan Valley Line.

West Trenton

One proposed initiative involves reestablishing rail service along the former Reading Railroad’s Jersey City branch between Ewing and Bound Brook, which is currently part of the CSX Transportation Trenton Subdivision. NJ Transit would operate this segment as its version of the West Trenton Line, creating a direct connection with SEPTA’s West Trenton Line and thereby adding another transit link to Philadelphia. Funding for this project has yet to be secured.

Stations

State	Zone	Location	Station	Distance (km) from Pennsylvania Station	Opening date	Closing date	Connections / remarks
NY	1	Manhattan	Pennsylvania Station Template:NJT acc	0.0 (0.0)	1910		Services by Amtrak including long-distance and intercity routes such as Cardinal, Crescent, and Acela Branches of Long Island Rail Road Lines operated by NJ Transit Rail Access to New York City Subway, local bus, and intercity bus networks
NJ		Secaucus	Secaucus Junction Template:NJT acc	5.0 (8.0)	December 15, 2003		Multiple NJ Transit Rail lines including Bergen County, Gladstone, Montclair-Boonton, Morristown, Northeast Corridor, and North Jersey Coast Port Jervis Line of Metro-North Railroad NJ Transit Bus routes
		Newark	Pennsylvania Station Template:NJT acc	10.0 (16.1)	1935		Long-distance and intercity Amtrak services NJ Transit Rail lines: North Jersey Coast and Northeast Corridor PATH rapid transit system Newark Light Rail NJ Transit Bus and Greyhound Lines
			South Street
	5	Union	Template:Njts Template:NJT acc	15.3 (24.6)	April 28, 2003		Connections to NJ Transit Bus services
	7	Roselle Park	Template:Njts	17.2 (27.7)	February 3, 1891		NJ Transit Bus service links available
		Cranford	Template:Njts Template:NJT acc	19.2 (30.9)	January 1, 1839		Commuter options through NJ Transit Bus and Olympia Trails services
	8	Garwood	Template:Njts	20.4 (32.8)	August 1892
		Westfield	Template:Njts Template:NJT acc	21.6 (34.8)	January 1, 1839
			"Graceland"		c. 1891 – closed before 1912
	"9"	"Fanwood"	"23.7 (38.1)"	"January 1, 1839"		"Commuter services via NJ Transit Bus and Olympia Trails"
	"10"	Plainfield"	"Netherwood"	"25.0 (40.2)"	"1874"		"Comprehensive NJ Transit Bus connections and Olympia Trails commuter routes"
	"Plainfield" Template:NJT acc	"26.2 (42.2)"	"January 1, 1839"		"Extensive NJ Transit Bus network access"
	"Grant Avenue"		"1885"	"April 26, 1986"
	"Clinton Avenue"		"1872"	"April 30, 1967"
	"12"	"(Dunellen)"	"29.1 (46.8)"	"January 1, 1840"		"Local transit connections through NJ Transit Bus and Suburban Trails"
	"13"	"Middlesex"		"circa 1893"	"1972"
	"14"	"Bound Brook"	"33.3 (53.6)"	"January 1, 1840"		"Somerset County Transportation DASH service available"
	"15"	"Bridgewater"	"34.5 (55.5)"			"Previously identified as Calco from 1915 to 1996"
	"Finderne"		"1851"	"2006"	"Station closure due to diminished ridership"
	"17"	"Somerville" Template:NJT acc	"37.8 (60.8)"	"January 1, 1842"		"Connections with NJ Transit Bus routes provided"
	"Raritan"	"39.0 (62.8)"	"circa 1851"
	"18"	"North Branch"	"42.5 (68.4)"	"September 25, 1848"
	"19"	"Whitehouse Station"	"47.4 (76.3)"	"September 25, 1848"
	"20"	"Lebanon"	"51.1 (82.2)"	"July 4, 1852"
	"Annandale"	"53.5 (86.1)"
	"21"	"High Bridge" "55.3 (89.0)" "1852"
	'Glen Gardner'	'July 4, 1852' 'January 1, 1984' 'Formerly called Clarkville until early 1870s.'
	'Hampton'
	'Bethlehem Township'	'Ludlow–Asbury'	'circa 1852-1854' '1967'
	'Bloomsbury'	'July 4, 1852'
	'Phillipsburg'	'Union Station'	'July 4, 1852' 'January 1, 1984'