SCOTCH PLAINS/FANWOOD, NJ — Beginning January 12, 2015, NJ TRANSIT commuters on the Raritan Valley Line will enjoy direct “one-seat” rides after the weekday evening rush hour to and from Manhattan, the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition announced Thursday.

Sign Up for Scotch Plains/Fanwood Newsletter Our newsletter delivers the local news that you can trust. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. You have successfully signed up for the TAPinto Scotch Plains/Fanwood Newsletter. Daytime off-peak one-seat rides, which don’t require riders to switch trains at any point during their trip, have been available on the line since March on weekdays beginning with the 9:12 a.m. train out of Fanwood station. and end with the 2:35 p.m. train from New York Penn Station.

The RVRC expects that there will be four weekday evening direct trains leaving New York Penn Station between 9 p.m. and midnight, but exact times have not yet been published.

After delaying the start of evening one-seat rides in October , NJ TRANSIT moved forward to implement them after securing funding from the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA).







“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 RVL,” said Peter Palmer, RVRC Chairman and Somerset County Freeholder. “But we’re only halfway toward our goal of full mid-town direct service.”

The ultimate goal of the RVRC, which has championed the one-seat direct train service to NYC since 1998, is full midtown direct service. Currently, riders on peak hour and weekend trains still have to transfer in Newark. Members of the RVRC continue to meet regularly with NJ TRANSIT officials to accomplish that goal.

“We understand the complex nature of implementing these changes,” said Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr, who heads the Mayor’s Coalition. “However, our first responsibility is to the residents of every town on the RVL and making sure they are treated fairly in the transit system.”