Raritan Valley Line: Difference between revisions
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==Rolling stock== |
==Rolling stock== |
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On the Raritan Valley Line, [[EMD F40PH|F40PH-2CAT]], [[GP40PH-2|GP40PH-2(A and B)]] [[GP40FH-2]], [[Alstom PL42AC]], and [[GE P40DC]] diesel locomotives haul [[Comet (railcar)|Comet]] series coaches and, since late 2008, [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]] [[Bombardier MultiLevel Coach|Multilevel Coaches]]. Most trains now consist of an [[Alstom PL42AC]] and |
On the Raritan Valley Line, [[EMD F40PH|F40PH-2CAT]], [[GP40PH-2|GP40PH-2(A and B)]] [[GP40FH-2]], [[Alstom PL42AC]], and [[GE P40DC]] diesel locomotives haul [[Comet (railcar)|Comet]] series coaches and, since late 2008, [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]] [[Bombardier MultiLevel Coach|Multilevel Coaches]]. Most trains now consist of an [[Alstom PL42AC]] and multilevels. |
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==Yards== |
==Yards== |
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Revision as of 19:04, 21 April 2011
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 Train #5439, a PM peak train on the Raritan Valley Line, is about to stop at Template:Njt-sta station. | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Amtrak (east of Hunter) CSAO (Hunter to Aldene) New Jersey Transit (Aldene westward) | ||
| Locale | North Jersey | ||
| Termini |
| ||
| Stations | 20 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Commuter rail line | ||
| System | New Jersey Transit | ||
| Operator(s) | New Jersey Transit | ||
| Rolling stock | F40PH-2CAT locomotives GP40FH-2 locomotives Alstom PL42AC GE P40DC locomotives Comet Coaches Bombardier MultiLevels | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Operating speed | 79 MPH (Top Speed) | ||
| |||
The Raritan Valley Line is a diesel powered commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT), running out of Newark Penn Station, with most trains terminating at the Raritan station. Some weekday trains continue further west and terminate at High Bridge. Connections to New York Penn Station via the Northeast Corridor Line or North Jersey Coast Line can be made at Newark. One weekday morning inbound train continues to Hoboken. At other times, passengers can reach Hoboken as well as lower Manhattan and the Financial District via PATH. 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]
Trains are numbered in the 5,000s with the exception of an early morning weekday train to Hoboken train #2406 and an early morning weekend train that only runs July 5th, train #8512.[3] 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.[3]
Route description
From Cranford west, the line follows the former Main Line of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey. The main line service originally ran through Elizabeth and Bayonne to Jersey City, and terminated at Communipaw Terminal in what is today Liberty State Park. This station, which was served by the Reading, Jersey Central, and former B & O Washington-Jersey City line, had direct connections, either by chartered bus or ferry, into Manhattan (the latter serving the financial district).
But after the 1967 the Aldene Plan went into effect the Aldene Connection connected to the former Lehigh Valley Railroad right-of-way, and trains were re-routed to Newark Penn Station on the Northeast Corridor via Hunter Connection. This was done in order to remove the ferry service between Jersey city (end of the line) and New York City which was losing money badly.[4] Operations are identical today as they were back in 1967.
Rolling stock
On the Raritan Valley Line, F40PH-2CAT, GP40PH-2(A and B) GP40FH-2, Alstom PL42AC, and GE P40DC diesel locomotives haul Comet series coaches and, since late 2008, Bombardier Multilevel Coaches. Most trains now consist of an Alstom PL42AC and a handfull of multilevels.
Yards
There is only one rail yard on the Raritan Valley Line, it is the Raritain Yard in Raritan, NJ, west of the station. All eastbound trains change crews here and trains are normally stored here overnight. All trains terminationg in Newark will head to the nearest rail yard in Kearny, NJ 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, 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.[5] 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.
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.[6] 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..."[7]
NJT 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.
Manhattan
Raritan Valley Line trains terminate at Newark due to capacity issues in the North River Tunnels and the non-electrification of the line (diesel locomotives are banned in the tunnels for safety reasons). The Access to the Region's Core project tunnel would have allowed Raritan Valley Line trains to terminate at New York Penn Station by way of dual mode locomotives, but project was canceled in October 2010 by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie over funding issues.
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. To date, no funding for the proposal has been secured.[8]
Closed stations
- Grant Avenue (Plainfield)
- Calco
- Finderne
- Glen Gardner
- Hampton
- Ludlow
- Bloomsbury
- Phillipsburg
References
- ^ New Jersey Transit rail boarding numbers 2007-1999 Berkeley Retrieved 2008-07-23
- ^ http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?36731
- ^ a b njtransit.com
- ^ http://www.thorpefamily.us/bayonne.html
- ^ nycroads.com
- ^ Flood, Danielle; Mustac, Frank. "NJ Transit analyzing recommendations made in I-78 corridor study"; July 1, 2009
- ^ Hausman, Daniel. "Perrucci pitches P'burg as place to do business, says region a good candidate for rail service." The Express Times; February 13, 2007
- ^ http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=Project016To [Accessed April 5, 2008]
| Hoboken Division |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Newark Division | ||
| Connections | ||
| Current rolling stock | ||
| Bridges and tunnels |
| |
| Stations and yards | ||
| Proposed lines | ||
| Other topics | ||