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Light rail in New Jersey is provided byNJ Transit, a state-owned corporation which also provides bus and commuter rail services. In 2024, the light rail system had a ridership of 22,215,800.[1] Light rail, among other forms of transit, is a major part of the state's Smart Growth policy.
TheHudson–Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) is a service that connects the Hudson County communities ofBayonne,Jersey City,Hoboken,Weehawken,Union City, andNorth Bergen with 23 stops along 3 services.
This line was borne out of apublic-private partnership in the mid-1990s, withWashington Group International, doing business as 21st Century Rail, chosen for a DBOM contract for the line to design, build, operate, and maintain the line for its first 15 years. With construction beginning in 1997, the first segments, fromExchange Place toWest Side Avenue and34th Street opening in 2000, with service toPavonia-Newport,Hoboken Terminal,22nd Street,Lincoln Harbor, andTonnelle Avenue opening in later segments between 2000 and 2005, and8th Street opening in 2011.
The current HBLR fleet consists of 53 low-floor electric light rail cars.
As of October 1, 2015, the current one-way fare on the HBLR is $2.25. The line works under aproof-of-payment system, requiring all riders to have a validated ticket (validated prior to boarding the train), transfer, or a valid pass.
TheNewark Light Rail (NLR) is a light rail system composed of two sections, theNewark City Subway, originally opened in the 1930s byPSCT as the No. 7 line, and the sole surviving line of several that ran into this tunnel, and theBroad Street Line which operates fromNewark Penn toNewark Broad Street via Washington Park and Riverfront Stadium, which opened in 2006. This line is also included inNJT Bus' Central Division, dating back to its days as a streetcar line.
Originally constructed as a streetcar line usingPCC streetcars, the Newark City Subway ran from Newark Penn to a loop at the Newark city line located at what was then called Franklin Avenue. With the conversion of operation from PCC streetcars to cars similar to what is used on the HBLR, the Franklin Avenue loop was removed and replaced byBranch Brook Park, with service extended toGrove Street.
NLR utilizes a fleet of 20 cars, similar to the HBLR fleet.
As of October 1, 2015, NLR one-way fares are equivalent to a one-zone bus ride of $1.60, with the ability to purchasethrough-tickets valid for a ride on Newark Light Rail and on a connecting bus toBloomfield,Passaic and points beyond up to 4 local bus fare zones (generally, toPaterson,Willowbrook, andWest Caldwell). The line works under aproof-of-payment system, requiring all riders to have a validated ticket (validated prior to boarding the train), transfer, bus through-ticket, or a valid pass.
TheRiver Line is ahybrid rail service operating fromTrenton toEntertainment Center inCamden, with the line, except at the ends, running along the formerBordentown Secondary ofConrail, servicing 30 stops along the 34-mile route in theRoute 130 corridor. This line is operated under contract to New Jersey Transit bySouthern New Jersey Rail Group, aBombardier/Bechtel joint-venture.
As of October 1, 2015, River Line fares are equivalent to a one-zone bus ride of $1.60. The line works under aproof-of-payment system, requiring all riders to have a validated ticket (validated prior to boarding the train), transfer, bus through-ticket, or a valid pass.
TheNorthern Branch Corridor Project is a plan to extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail past its current terminus atTonnelle Avenue toEnglewood along theNorthern Branch, an existing freight rail line. It reached the finalenvironmental impact statement stage, but approvals were later withdrawn.
TheGlassboro–Camden Line, is proposed diesel light rail from theWalter Rand Transportation Center inCamden toRowan University inGlassboro, partially along an existing freight rail line.[2]
ThePassaic–Bergen–Hudson Transit Project is a project under study by NJ Transit to reintroduce passenger service on a portion of theNew York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYSW) right-of-way (ROW) inPassaic,Bergen andHudson counties using newly built,FRA-compliantdiesel multiple unit rail cars.[3][4][5] Plans call for service to run fromHawthorne south throughPaterson, east toHackensack and then southeast toNorth Bergen, where it would join the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR).
TheNewark-Elizabeth Rail Link and theUnion County Light Rail have not advanced and been removed from NJT list of capital projects.
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