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A Raritan Valley Line train waits for passengers at track 5 in Newark Penn Station. One last hurdle needs to be cleared to use federal funds to expand transfer free service in the evening.

(Larry Higgs/NJ Advance Media)

Raritan Valley Line rail commuters are closer to a transfer-free train ride to and from Manhattan in the evening after federal funds were approved by a transportation planning group Tuesday morning.



The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority approved transferring $910,000 in federal congestion management and clean air funds to NJ Transit to finance the "one-seat ride" which would spare Raritan Valley line riders from having to transfer between trains in Penn Station, Newark.



"This means that (federal) funding will be used to provide additional one-seat service on the Raritan Valley Line, in keeping with what has already been discussed by NJ Transit," said David Behrend, an NJTPA spokesman.



One hurdle remains to be cleared. The Federal Transit Administration has to approve use of the funds, said Nancy Snyder, an NJ Transit spokeswoman. If the FTA approves, service would start at the beginning of next year, she said.



The funds would cover NJ Transits promised expansion of direct RVL evening service to Manhattan. That expansion, originally planned for November was postponed by NJ Transit officials in early October. Officials said funding needed to add the service hadn't been budgeted for.



But in late October, Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox and NJ Transit executive director Veronique "Ronnie" Hakim said they would apply for Federal Transit Administration funds to offer four new evening trains in and out of New York.



The one-seat ride or a transfer free train trip has been the goal of the Raritan Valley Line Coalition since it formed in the 1998. The daily transfer between electric powered trains to and from New York to diesel powered Raritan Valley Line trains means commuters have to go down and up two flights of stairs in Newark Penn Station.



That goal seemed closer after NJ Transit bought dual mode locomotives, which can run under diesel power on the Raritan and on electric power going through the tunnels to and from New York.

Part of the goal materialized in March, when NJ Transit started running midday Raritan trains operating to and from New York that offered a one-seat ride between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. as a pilot program.



NJ Transit figures as of Sept. 30 show that Raritan Valley Line ridership has increase by 9.24 percent over a one year period.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.