Direct Evening Rail Service Begins Jan. 12

By Somerset County Board of Freeholders

Raritan Valley Line riders will get the long-awaited, off-peak evening direct trains to New York Penn Station beginning Jan. 12, 2015.

The announcement from the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition (RVRC) has special significance since the direct evening service was previously cancelled by NJ Transit.

“The Coalition launched a public information campaign, including public meetings, and worked closely with NJ Transit to get this important second phase of direct train service on the Raritan Valley Line,” said Somerset County Freeholder and RVRC Chairman Peter Palmer. “But we’re only halfway toward our goal of full midtown direct service.”

The NJ Transit decision to implement the evening service came after the agency secured funding from the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski emphasized the importance of the decision. “We appreciate the support from the NJTPA on this issue,” she said. “The cost of expanding the one-seat ride on the Raritan Valley Line is low compared with the enormous payback in terms of economic development, improved property values and the productivity of our commuting workforce.”

The off-peak evening direct trains will leave New York Penn Station between 9 p.m. and midnight. The morning off-peak direct trains, which began in March, run between 8:43 a.m. and 4:25 p.m.

The ultimate goal of the RVRC, which has championed the one-seat direct train service to New York City since 1998, is full midtown direct service. Currently, riders on peak-hour trains still have to transfer in Newark.

Members of the RVRC continue to meet regularly with NJ Transit officials to accomplish the goal. “We understand the complex nature of implementing these changes,” said Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr, who heads the Mayors’ Coalition. “However, our first responsibility is to the residents of every town on the Raritan Valley Line and making sure they are treated fairly in the transit system.”

For more information and articles about the efforts to get one-seat service, visit www.raritanvalleyrail.com or contact info@raritanvalleyrail.com