Passenger Trains > Cessation of NJT service to Philipsburg, NJ

Hi everyone,
I was having a discussion with my father-in-law recently and was asking about passenger trains he saw in the area of Glen Gardner and Asbury, NJ in the late 1980s.  He does remember seeing passenger trains along Route 31 in Glen Gardner.  He was up in the area for construction work, so he wasn't sure whose tracks they were.  Not being familiar with the area, I don't know when NJT cut the Raritan Valley Line back to High Bridge.  Any information would be appreciated.  

My guess is the service to Phillipsburg ended in 1981, maybe early 1982.
 

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> My guess is the service to Phillipsburg ended in
> 1981, maybe early 1982.
>  

December 1983 was officially when service to Phillipsburg ended - due to "low ridership." NJT ran sort of a farewell trip from Newark on out to Phillipsburg, crossing into Easton, and back. NJT put together a train set that matched all up in its livery. 

There have been various efforts over the years to return service to Phillipsburg.  But when I-78 was completed the CNJ line was abandoned with the line being tied into the former Lehigh Valley at Bloomsbury, the project would be more complicated.

Several years ago the Hunterton County Economic Development office suggested building a park and ride facility at Bloomsbury.  This would allow commuters from Phillipsburg and the Lehigh Valley to access trains from a station adjacent to I-78 and avoid the issues of negotiating use of NS from there west (supposedly Conrail granted such permission in exchange for being able to abandon the CNJ but who know how that would work out).  The current endpoint of High Bridge is in a fairly remote location, requiring a 15 minute drive off of I-78.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> My guess is the service to Phillipsburg ended in
> 1981, maybe early 1982.

One of numerous commuter rail services killed off in the 1977-1983 period.

Same time we lost Pottsville/Reading-Philadelphia, Bethlehem-Philadelphia, Newtown-Fox Chase, Cape May/Ocean City-Lindenwold, Philadelphia-West Trenton-Newark, Lowell-Concord, Lexington-Boston, Youngstown-Cleveland, Pontiac-Detroit, Jackson-Detroit, 

abyler Wrote:
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> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > My guess is the service to Phillipsburg ended
> in
> > 1981, maybe early 1982.
>
> One of numerous commuter rail services killed off
> in the 1977-1983 period.
>
> Same time we lost Pottsville/Reading-Philadelphia,
> Bethlehem-Philadelphia, Newtown-Fox Chase, Cape
> May/Ocean City-Lindenwold, Philadelphia-West
> Trenton-Newark, Lowell-Concord, Lexington-Boston,
> Youngstown-Cleveland, Pontiac-Detroit,
> Jackson-Detroit,
Lowell-Concord...there was not commuter service on this line.  This was an ex New Haven freight route from Framingham to Lowell...

That "farewell" trip in 1983 was organized and operated by Tri State NRHS. I boarded at Raritan but the trip originated in Newark.It was just before the CNJ line was severed for the RT 78 construction and was billed "Farewell to the CNJ".

Thanks for the information everyone.  Just trying to tie this together for my father-in-law.  With the cut back from Philipsburg, what would've been the western terminus of the Raritan Valley Line?  

OCtrainguy Wrote:
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> Thanks for the information everyone.  Just trying
> to tie this together for my father-in-law.  With
> the cut back from Philipsburg, what would've been
> the western terminus of the Raritan Valley
> Line?  

High Bridge wher it remains to this day.

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > My guess is the service to Phillipsburg ended
> in
> > 1981, maybe early 1982.
> >  
>
> December 1983 was officially when service to
> Phillipsburg ended - due to "low ridership." NJT
> ran sort of a farewell trip from Newark on out to
> Phillipsburg, crossing into Easton, and back. NJT
> put together a train set that matched all up in
> its livery. 

That Farewell excursion was run in November 1985.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3998416

njmidland Wrote:
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> OCtrainguy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thanks for the information everyone.  Just
> trying
> > to tie this together for my father-in-law. 
> With
> > the cut back from Philipsburg, what would've
> been
> > the western terminus of the Raritan Valley
> > Line?  
>
> High Bridge wher it remains to this day.

Thank you. 

I have the dates I was asking about, so really not sure what he would've seen in that timeline.  Unless of course, his timeline is off.