View source for River Line (NJ Transit)

{{Short description|Hybrid rail service in Southern New Jersey, USA}}
{{Other uses|River Line (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = River Line
| logo                            = RiverLine.svg
| logo_width                      = 200px
| image                           = Gtw riverline.JPG
| caption                         = A River Line train at [[36th Street station (River Line)|36th Street]] in [[Pennsauken Township, New Jersey]]
| type                            = [[Hybrid rail]]
| system                          = [[NJ Transit]]
| status                          = 
| locale                          = [[Camden County, New Jersey|Camden]], [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington]], and [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer]] counties, [[New Jersey]]
| start                           = [[Trenton Transit Center]]
| end                             = [[Entertainment Center (River Line station)|Entertainment Center]]
| stations                        = 21
| routes                          = 
| daily_ridership                 = 8,633 (avg. weekday)<ref name="NJTransit-FactsAtAGlance" />
| ridership2                      = 2,713,160 (FY2017)<ref name="NJTransit-FactsAtAGlance" />
| open                            = March 14, 2004<ref name="opening" />
| close                           = 
| owner                           = [[NJ Transit]]
| operator                        = [[Alstom]]
| character                       = 
| stock                           = 20 [[Stadler GTW]]
| linelength                      = {{convert|34|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name="NJTransit-FactsAtAGlance" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lightrailnow.org/news/n_nj002.htm|title=Camden-Trenton: River Line Light Railway Gains Riders, Spurs Economic Development|work=lightrailnow.org}}</ref>
| tracklength                     = 
| tracks                          = 
| gauge                           = {{Track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| minradius                       = 
| electrification                 = 
| speed                           = 
| elevation                       = 
| map                             = {{switcher
|{{maplink-road|from=River Line (NJ Transit).map}}
|Show interactive map
|{{River Line (NJ Transit)}}
|Show route diagram map
}}
| map_state                       = 
}}

The '''River Line''' (stylized as '''River LINE''') is a [[hybrid rail]] ([[light rail]] with some features similar to [[commuter rail]]) service in [[South Jersey|southern New Jersey]] that connects the cities of [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]] and [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], New Jersey's capital. It is so named because its route between the two cities is parallel to the [[Delaware River]]. 

The River Line stops at the [[Port Authority Transit Corporation|PATCO]] Speedline's Broadway station ([[Walter Rand Transportation Center]]) and the [[NJ Transit]] [[Atlantic City Line]]'s [[Pennsauken Transit Center]], providing connections to [[Philadelphia]]. Its northern terminus is adjacent to the [[Trenton Transit Center]] in [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]].

The line is operated for [[New Jersey Transit]] by the Southern New Jersey Rail Group (SNJRG), which originally included [[Bechtel]] and [[Bombardier Transportation]]. Now that the project is in its operational phase, Bombardier is the only member of SNJRG.<ref name="Bombardier">{{cite web |url=https://www.bombardier.com/en/media/newsList/details.bombardier-transportation20141001bombardierwinsnewoperationsandm.bombardiercom.html |title=Bombardier Wins New Operations and Maintenance Contract in New Jersey |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=October 1, 2014 |website=bombardier.com |access-date=May 10, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106195704/https://bombardier.com/en/media/newsList/details.bombardier-transportation20141001bombardierwinsnewoperationsandm.bombardiercom.html |archive-date=2018-11-06 }}</ref> In 2021, [[Alstom]] acquired Bombardier Transportation. 

==Ridership==
The River Line was exceeding final [[ridership]] estimates of 5,500 passengers per day, with an average of 9,014 weekday, 5,922 Saturday, and 4,708 Sunday average passenger trips as of the end of fiscal year 2014. During this time, there were 2,869,707 unlinked passenger trips.<ref name="NJTransit-FactsAtAGlance">{{cite web | url = http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/FactsAtaGlance.pdf | title = NJ Transit Facts At a Glance Fiscal Year 2014 | publisher = NJ Transit | date = March 2015 | access-date = 2015-04-02 | archive-date = 2015-09-06 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150906064945/http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/FactsAtaGlance.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref>

In 2022 after the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] ridership was at 5,350 boardings per weekday, around 61% of pre-pandemic levels.<ref name=":0" />

==History==
===Alignment===
{{main|Amboy Branch|Bordentown Branch}}
The River Line was constructed on what originally was the [[Amboy Branch|Camden-Bordentown]] section and the [[Bordentown Branch]] of the [[Camden and Amboy Railroad]] (C&A). The lines ran under the C&A name between 1830 and 1871, when the line was absorbed into the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]]. Ownership proceeded under [[Penn Central]] after 1968, and [[Conrail]] from 1976 to June 1, 1999, but the original passenger service had been abandoned in 1963.<ref>Chen, David W. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E1D81639F93BA15757C0A960958260 " ROAD AND RAIL;Trolley Urged for a Limping Old Freight Line"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', April 28, 1996. Accessed October 23, 2007. "In 1963, passenger service ended, and as factories moved to the outer-ring suburbs or closed (Roebling in 1974), freight service decreased to only a few times a day."</ref>

===Planning===
The path to NJ Transit's River Line spanned at least three decades and over multiple planning agencies. An unrelated precursor to the NJ Transit River Line was the [[Delaware River Port Authority]]'s 1960 plan for rail rapid transit service to [[Moorestown, New Jersey|Moorestown]]/[[Mount Holly, New Jersey|Mount Holly]], [[Lindenwold, New Jersey|Lindenwold]], and [[Woodbury Heights, New Jersey|Woodbury Heights]]/[[Glassboro, New Jersey|Glassboro]], using three existing railroad corridors. Implementation of the complete plan was considered unrealistically expensive. The DRPA elected to focus its resources on the most promising corridor, the Philadelphia–Lindenwold route. Construction on the [[PATCO Speedline]] began in 1966 and was completed in 1969, re-using the 1936 Bridge Line subway and constructing a grade-separated heavy-rail line within the [[Atlantic City Line]] right-of-way. The DRPA's original proposal did not include the alignment that became the River Line corridor, but planned to serve [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington County]] via the Mount Holly alignment.

NJ Transit's planning for the ''Burlington–Gloucester Transit System'' began in the early 1990s.<ref>{{cite news  | last = Dooley  | first = Tara  |author2=Dalan, Matthew  | title = Nj Transit Study Explores S. Jersey Rail-line Options Burlco Officials Are Pleased With The Report. Gloucester County Residents Are Not.  | publisher = Philadelphia  | date = July 26, 1996  | url = http://articles.philly.com/1996-07-26/news/25619935_1_rail-options-light-rail-light-rail-system  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140219124050/http://articles.philly.com/1996-07-26/news/25619935_1_rail-options-light-rail-light-rail-system  | url-status = dead  | archive-date = February 19, 2014  | access-date = 2014-01-26}}</ref>

The primary goals of the BGTS were:
* Connecting South Jersey communities to [[Philadelphia]]
* Providing [[streetcar]] service to downtown Camden
* Providing regional rail transit service to Burlington and [[Gloucester County, New Jersey|Gloucester]] Counties

A [[Major Investment Study]] (MIS) published in 1996 concluded that a Gloucester route was more suitable than a Burlington route based on travel demand and citizen support.<ref name="MIS Report">NJ Transit. ''Burlington - Camden - Gloucester Transit Project: Major Investment Study''. 1996.</ref> This study included substantial [[public participation]]: fourteen open houses, three advisory committees, and other public outreach. The process found substantial neighborhood opposition to the [[Mount Holly Township, New Jersey|Mount Holly]] alignment through Burlington County: county freeholders publicly opposed the possibility.<ref>Olsen, Eddie. "Transit Corridor Proposed." ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', March 29, 1993.</ref> Opposition was particularly strong in [[Moorestown Township]], partly because of a potential street-running section. Meanwhile, Gloucester County leaders were largely ambivalent towards the project.<ref name="MIS Report"/>

Dissatisfied with this analysis, Senator [[C. William Haines]] introduced legislation in the [[New Jersey State Senate]] requiring NJ Transit to study rail transit service along the [[Delaware River]] between Trenton, Camden, and Glassboro.<ref name="Kummer" /> Haines, a native of Moorestown, sought the benefits of rail for Burlington County without the disruption to his hometown.<ref name="Kummer">Kummer, Frank. "Senator Engineered Change in Rail Route - A Political Maneuver Shifted the Trains from Gloucester to Burlington." ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', July 28, 2003.</ref>

Two special studies were commissioned to supplement the alternatives identified in the MIS. The second of these special studies examined the [[Bordentown Secondary]], another Conrail corridor through Burlington County, the alignment of today’s River Line. The parallel NJ Transit local bus on [[U.S. Route 130]] was heavily patronized, and the corridor was ripe for economic development.

In November 1996, NJ Transit's board of directors approved a light rail transit alignment from Glassboro to Trenton with diesel-powered cars based on the findings of the special study. The board also established the initial operating corridor (IOC) to be the Trenton-Camden corridor. The draft [[environmental impact statement]] (DEIS) was completed in 1998, and the contract with SNJRG was finalized in 1999, permitting the system to open to the public on March 14, 2004.<ref name="opening">{{Cite web|title = Camden-Trenton: River Line Light Railway Gains Riders, Spurs Economic Development|url = http://www.lightrailnow.org/news/n_nj002.htm|website = www.lightrailnow.org|access-date = 2016-02-10}}</ref> The entire line was 100 percent funded by the State of New Jersey from its Transportation Trust Fund. No federal capital was expended for this diesel light rail project. Former NJ Transit executive director George Warrington has described the River Line as "the poster child for how not to plan and make decisions about a transit investment."<ref>Michaels, David A. "Deal is Reached in Rail Lawsuit." ''New Jersey Record'', March 11, 2007.</ref>

===Pennsauken Transit Center===
The lack of a direct transfer between the River Line and NJ Transit's [[Atlantic City Line]], which crosses directly over the River Line in [[Pennsauken, New Jersey|Pennsauken]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Delair,+NJ&t=h&ll=39.978061,-75.062252&spn=0.000917,0.002704&t=h|title=Delair, NJ - Google Maps|work=google.com}}</ref> was highly criticized at the time of the River Line's opening. NJT subsequently reconsidered; in March 2009, NJT announced that an intermodal station linking the River Line and the Atlantic City Line would be constructed in Pennsauken.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=2492|title=New Jersey Transit|work=njtransit.com|access-date=2009-04-04|archive-date=2009-05-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522203552/http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=2492|url-status=dead}}</ref> The new [[Intermodal passenger transport|intermodal]] station would include one low-level platform for River Line trains, two high-level platforms for Atlantic City Line commuter trains, and 280 parking spaces.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=Project099To|title=New Jersey Transit|work=njtransit.com|access-date=2009-06-11|archive-date=2017-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326100937/http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=Project099To|url-status=dead}}</ref>  A ground breaking ceremony was held for the [[Pennsauken Transit Center (NJT station)|Pennsauken Transit Center]] on October 19, 2009. The second and final phase of construction was approved by the NJ Transit Board of Directors on July 13, 2011. NJ Transit opened the station to passenger service on October 14, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pennsauken Transit Center linking River Line to A.C. opens|url=http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20131014/NEWS01/310130064/Pennsauken-Transit-Center-linking-River-Line-C-opens|date=October 14, 2013}}{{Dead link|date=January 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Ownership and time sharing agreement==
Except at each end of the line, the River Line was Conrail's [[Bordentown Secondary]] until June 1, 1999, when NJ Transit bought it for $67.5 million. NJ Transit has exclusive access to run light rail passenger service on the line from 05:30 to 22:10 Sunday through Friday, and all of Saturday night and Sunday morning. Conrail has exclusive access for freight at other times. Either agency may request to use the line at abnormal times in case of a special event or emergency.{{citation needed|date = March 2014}}

Within a year of the River Line's launch, the [[Federal Railroad Administration]] (FRA) granted permission to adjust timesharing agreement (more technically, "temporal separation") terms. NJ Transit and Conrail agreed to divide the line into two segments, from Camden to Bordentown (south), and from Bordentown to Trenton (north). In the northern section, the passenger period starts at 5:45&nbsp;a.m. instead of 6 a.m. Initially, these new periods allowed NJ Transit to deadhead equipment from Trenton to Bordentown and Florence at 5.45 a.m., to form the 6:08&nbsp;a.m. and 6:23&nbsp;a.m. northbound departures. These early morning trains provide earlier connections at Trenton for NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor services to [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] and [[New York City]] than were available previously.<ref name="njtransit.com">{{Cite web |date=2013-10-14 |title=River Line Light Rail Schedule |url=http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T0343.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150812071821/http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T0343.pdf |archive-date=2015-08-12 |access-date=2015-04-01 |website=[[NJ Transit]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-09-08 |title=Northeast Corridor Line Master File |url=http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/R0070.pdf |website=[[NJ Transit]]}}</ref>

===Service improvements and cutbacks===
NJ Transit has made some service improvements within the constraints of the timesharing agreement, with the construction of a mid-line yard in 2005 to permit later Burlington arrivals in the evening, and earlier departures after 6 a.m. However, most of the changes noted to facilitate late night service (after 10 p.m. on nights other than Saturdays) have been reversed, as listed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=2321|title=New Jersey Transit|work=njtransit.com|access-date=2007-07-24|archive-date=2007-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930184806/http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=2321|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Since the River Line opened, NJ Transit has made the service enhancements listed below (some of them subsequently reversed): 
* Introduced 15-minute peak-period service in June 2004
* Enhanced Capital Connection bus service in Trenton to provide better connections for state workers with River Line trains in June 2004
* Launched new early morning service to Trenton from Florence and Roebling in September 2004, enabling customers to make earlier connections to Northeast Corridor trains
* Launched new early service from [[Cinnaminson]] to Camden in January 2005
* Launched late-night bus shuttle service between 36th Street Station in Pennsauken to Route 73/Pennsauken in 2006. This no longer operates as of 2010, although the bus route 419 does serve both locations.
* Added early-morning trips from Burlington South and Burlington Towne Centre stations in September 2006 to create additional Northeast Corridor and PATCO connections
* Added a later, 9:28&nbsp;p.m. Trenton departure in September 2006 on weekdays (9:30&nbsp;p.m. on Sundays) as far as Burlington South Station.
* Added late-night, seven days a week service from Camden to Pennsauken, with the last train leaving Entertainment Center Station at 12:00&nbsp;a.m.  ''This option was discontinued in 2010, although the bus route 419 does serve stations between the Walter Rand Transportation Center and Pennsauken/Route 73 as well as several other stations as far north as Riverside.  The last train from Camden leaves the Walter Rand Transportation at 9:38 p.m. and arrives at Pennsauken/Route 73 at 9:47 p.m.''  Some late night service continues to run, on Saturdays, and, on irregular occasions, for special events on the Camden Waterfront or at the Entertainment Center in Camden. 
* Added early-morning trains for both weekdays and weekends, including a special limited-stop weekday train leaving at 5:53&nbsp;a.m. from Walter Rand Transportation Center and arriving at Trenton at 6:42&nbsp;a.m. (normal runs take 58 minutes,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.riverline.com/LRT0343.pdf|title=Riverline.com|date=27 May 2007|publisher=[[NJ Transit]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927055854/http://www.riverline.com/LRT0343.pdf|archive-date=27 September 2007|url-status=dead|access-date=27 July 2017}}</ref> compared to the 49 minutes for the limited-stop train), allowing commuters ample time to transfer to a 6:50 scheduled New York City-bound express train.{{citation needed|date = March 2014}}

There is no northbound late night service except on Saturdays due to budget cuts; the last northbound train leaves the Walter Rand Transportation Center at 9:38&nbsp;p.m. Sundays through Fridays and goes only as far as the Pennsauken/Route 73 station.  The only option to reach some stations north of the Walter Rand Transportation Center from Camden on these nights is the [http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T0419.pdf Route 419 bus]{{Dead link|date=January 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} which stops at each station as far north as Riverside while the Atlantic City Rail Line from Philadelphia and Lindenwold connects with the River Line at the Pennsauken Transit Center Station.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

===Discontinuation of late night service===
Currently, there is no service on the line after 10 p.m., except on Saturdays and limited nights when there is a concert at the Entertainment Center at the southern end of the line or another special event. Two stations in Camden, which are double-tracked where the final southbound trains stop just after 10 p.m., are the only exception.<ref name="njtransit.com"/> This reduction in service occurred in 2010 to save money.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=2596|title=New Jersey Transit|website=www.njtransit.com|access-date=2018-08-20|archive-date=2018-08-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820235114/http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=2596|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Operations and signalling==
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2012}}
[[Image:SJLR Induction-Stop.jpg|200px|right|thumb|River Line [[IIATS|inductive train stop]] located in front of the absolute signal at CP-HATCH]]
Most of the length of the project, except for street-running portion at the Camden end, is shared between non-FRA compliant light rail DMUs and heavy mainline freight trains. The 34-mile shared-track segment contains a mixture of single and double track sections.

The River Line was initially designed for commingled operations (i.e., where freight trains and light rail trains may operate on the same line controlled only by the signal systems) to provide maximum flexibility both for the freight and transit operators. The line, rebuilt under a design-build-operate-maintain (DBOM) contract, features mainline railroad signals with full [[centralized traffic control]] (CTC). River Line operating personnel use a modified version of the [[NORAC]] Rules, a standard set of railroad operating rules used by mainline railroads operating in the Northeastern U.S., including Amtrak and Conrail.

Signals set to stop for the diesel light rail cars are positively enforced via [[Intermittent Inductive Automatic Train Stop]]. The system is similar (but not identical) to the German [[Indusi]] system, where signal aspects are transmitted to moving trains from wayside devices. The inductive train stop devices are placed by the running rails in advance of the absolute signals. Train's emergency brakes are automatically engaged if a stop signal overrun occurs and interlockings are designed with sufficient [[signal overlap|overlap]] for trains to come to a complete stop before conflicting with other traffic.

==Payment and ticketing==
[[Image:New NJT TVM.jpg|200px|right|thumb|River Line TVM at Trenton Transit Center]]

The River Line is equivalent to a one-zone bus ride: fares cost $1.80. The River Line operates on a [[proof-of-payment]] system, as is typical of most light rail systems throughout the United States. Passengers can buy tickets at ticket vending machines (TVMs) present at all stations or via the NJ Transit App on Smartphones. Through-ticketing is available for connecting bus routes to Philadelphia. One-way, round-trip, and ten-trip tickets must then be validated, either by the app or with paper tickets, through automated validators located near the TVMs, which stamp the date and time on the ticket for 75 minutes of use. NJ Transit's fare inspectors randomly check tickets on trains and at stations; fare evasion carries a fine of up to $100.<ref>[https://www.njtransit.com/tickets/light-rail-tickets NJ Transit – Light Rail Tickets]</ref> Unused [[Newark City Subway]] and [[Hudson-Bergen Light Rail]] tickets can be used after validation at a River Line station{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}. As of 2004, rider fares only covered 7% of costs (not including debt service).<ref>Mansnerus, Laura. "Light Rail, with the Emphasis on Light." ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 13, 2004.</ref> Like the rest of NJ Transit's other transportation modes, it does not accept the SEPTA [[SEPTA Key|Key Card]], [[PATCO Speedline|PATCO's]] [[Freedom Card]],  MTA's MetroCard, or [[OMNY]], although it has plans to create a new fare payment system in the future.<ref name="NJ Transit">{{Cite web|last=Higgs|first=Larry|date=2019-06-06|title=NJ Transit takes a small step toward getting its own fare card, similar to NYC|url=https://www.nj.com/traffic/2019/06/nj-transit-takes-a-small-step-toward-getting-its-own-fare-card-similar-to-nyc.html|access-date=2019-10-02|website=NJ.com|language=en}}</ref><ref name="NJ Transit New Fare Card">{{cite news|last=Higgs|first=Larry|title=NJ Transit takes first step to put a fare card in riders' hands by late 2024|url=https://www.nj.com/traffic/2022/04/nj-transit-takes-first-step-to-put-a-fare-card-in-riders-hands-by-late-2024.html|work=NJ.com|publisher=Advance Media|date=April 13, 2022}}</ref>

==Rolling stock==
The River Line fleet comprises 20 articulated [[Switzerland|Swiss]]-built [[Stadler GTW|Stadler GTW 2/6]] DMU ([[diesel multiple unit]]) cars. The River Line is the first light rail system in the United States to use these instead of more typical electric vehicles.<ref>{{cite web |author=DVV Media Group GmbH |title=Diesel light rail rolls at last in North America |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/diesel-light-rail-rolls-at-last-in-north-america.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215114643/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/diesel-light-rail-rolls-at-last-in-north-america.html |archive-date=2017-02-15 |work=Railway Gazette}}</ref>

==Stations==
[[Image:River LINE interior.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The interior of a southbound River Line train]]
[[Image:Riverline At Walter Rand.jpg|200px|right|thumb|A River Line train stopped at Walter Rand Transportation Center]]
All stations and rolling stock were built after 1990 and are fully [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|ADA-compliant]].[[File:Palmyra RiverLINE Station in Snow.jpg|200px|right|thumb|A northbound River Line train arrives at Palmyra Station after a snowstorm in February 2010]]
{| class="wikitable"
!Location
!Station
!Connections
!Boardings per Weekday (2022)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=New Jersey Transit Friendly Data Application |url=https://njlutrans.org/ |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=njlutrans.org}}</ref>
!Notes

|-
|rowspan=3|[[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]]
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Trenton}} {{parking symbol}}
|{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: [[Northeast Corridor]] services<!-- [[Acela Express]] [[Northeast Regional]] [[Vermonter (train)|Vermonter]] [[Silver Star (Amtrak train)]] [[Silver Meteor]] [[Cardinal (train)]] [[Crescent (train)]] [[Keystone Service]] [[Pennsylvanian (train)]] [[Palmetto (train)]] [[Carolinian (train)]] --><br />{{rint|njt}} [[NJ Transit]]: {{rint|njt|nec}} [[Northeast Corridor Line]]<br />{{rint|septa}} [[SEPTA Regional Rail]]: {{rcb|SEPTA|Trenton|inline=yes}}<br />{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|409|418|600|601|608|609|611|624}}<br />{{bus icon}} [[SEPTA Suburban Bus]]: {{SEPTA bus link|127}}
|914
|Northern terminus, located just west of rail station

|-
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Hamilton Avenue}} {{parking symbol}}
|{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|409|601|603|609}}
|140
|Serves [[CURE Insurance Arena]]

|-
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Cass Street}}
|
|229
|Serves [[Trenton Thunder Ballpark]]

|-
|rowspan=1|[[Bordentown, New Jersey|Bordentown]]
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Bordentown}} {{parking symbol}}
|{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|409}}
|132
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Florence Township, New Jersey|Florence Township]]
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Roebling}} {{parking symbol}}
|{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|409}}
|110
|
|-
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Florence}} {{parking symbol}}
|{{bus icon}} BurLink: B5<br/>{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|409|413}}
|366
|[[Park and ride]]

|-
|rowspan=2|[[Burlington, New Jersey|Burlington]]
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Burlington Towne Centre}}
|{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|409|413}}
|429
|
|-
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Burlington South}} {{parking symbol}}
|
|153
|[[Park and ride]]

|-
|[[Beverly, New Jersey|Beverly]]
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Beverly/Edgewater Park}} {{parking symbol}}
|{{bus icon}} BurLink: B1, B2
|304
|
|-
|[[Delanco Township, New Jersey|Delanco Township]]
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Delanco}} {{parking symbol}}
|
|140
|
|-
|[[Riverside Township, New Jersey|Riverside]]
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Riverside}} {{parking symbol}}
|{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|419}}<br />
|295
|
|-
|[[Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey|Cinnaminson Township]]
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Cinnaminson}} {{parking symbol}}
|{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|419}}
|142
|
|-
|[[Riverton, New Jersey|Riverton]]
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Riverton}} {{parking symbol}}
|{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|419}}
|75
|
|-
|[[Palmyra, New Jersey|Palmyra]]
|[[Palmyra (River Line station)|Palmyra]] {{parking symbol}}
|{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|419}}
|295
|
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Pennsauken Township, New Jersey|Pennsauken Township]]
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Pennsauken–Route 73}} {{parking symbol}}
|{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|419}}<br />{{bus icon}} [[SJTA Bus]]: TransIT Link
|78
|[[Park and ride]]

|-
|[[Pennsauken Transit Center]] {{parking symbol}}
|{{rint|njt}} [[NJ Transit]]: {{rint|njt|acl}} [[Atlantic City Line]]<br />{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|404|417|419}}
|NO DATA
|
|-
|{{stl|NJ Transit|36th Street}} {{parking symbol}}
|{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|452}}
|173
|
|-
|rowspan=4|[[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]]
|[[Walter Rand Transportation Center]]
|[[File:BSicon_SUBWAY.svg|14px|link=]] {{rint|philadelphia|patco}} [[PATCO Speedline|Lindenwold Line]] {{small|(at [[Walter Rand Transportation Center|Broadway]])}}<br />{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|313|315|316|317|400|401|402|403|404|405|406|407|408|409|410|412|413|418|419|450|451|452|453|457|551}}<br />{{bus icon}} [[SJTA Bus]]: Pureland Shuttle<br />{{rint|us|greyhound}} [[Greyhound Lines]]
|1026
|
|-
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Cooper Street–Rutgers University}}
|
|133
|
|-
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Aquarium}}
|{{bus icon}} [[NJ Transit Bus]]: {{NJ bus link|452|453}}
|43
|Serves [[Adventure Aquarium]]

|-
|{{stl|NJ Transit|Entertainment Center}}
|
|46
|Southern terminus, serves [[Freedom Mortgage Pavilion]]

|}

== Future service, stations and extensions ==
New Jersey Transit has proposed several possible extensions and stations to the River Line, either as parts of the initial construction plan which were deferred, or as potential future projects.

===Glassboro–Camden Line===
The [[Glassboro–Camden Line]] is a proposed {{convert|18|mi|km|2|adj=on}} [[diesel multiple unit]] (DMU) [[light rail|light rail system]].<ref name = facts2013>{{cite web   | title = Fact Sheet 2013   | work = Glassboro-Camden Line   | publisher = DVPA & PATCO   | url = http://www.glassborocamdenline.com/images/uploads/GCL_FACTSHEET_2013.pdf   | access-date = 2012-04-08   | archive-date = 2020-08-19   | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200819123159/http://www.glassborocamdenline.com/images/uploads/GCL_FACTSHEET_2013.pdf   | url-status = dead   }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release   | title = NJ Transit Board Advances South Jersey Transportation Projects   | publisher = New Jersey Transit   | date = December 9, 2009   | url = http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=2571   | access-date = 2012-04-08   | archive-date = 2011-10-19   | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111019082545/http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=2571   | url-status = dead   }}</ref> At its northern end in Camden it will converge with the River Line, with which its infrastructure and vehicles will be compatible, and terminate at the [[Walter Rand Transportation Center]]. The plan is part of larger expansion of public transportation in [[South Jersey]] that will include [[Bus rapid transit in New Jersey#Camden-Philadelphia BRT|bus rapid transit along the Route 42 and Route 55]], improvements to the Atlantic City Rail Line, and enhanced connections to the Atlantic City International Airport.<ref name = TSTC>{{cite web   | last = Baldwin   | first = Zoe   | title = South Jersey Transit Improvements on Tap   | publisher = Tri-State Transportation Campaign   | date = May 22, 2009   | url = http://blog.tstc.org/2009/05/22/south-jersey-transit-improvements-on-tap/   | access-date = 2013-07-20 }}</ref>

===New Jersey State House extension===
The [[New Jersey State House]] is located approximately 0.8 miles to the northwest of the River Line's northern terminal at Trenton Transit Center.  While the line was being constructed, NJT studied an extension that would bridge this gap via a shared [[right-of-way (railroad)|right-of-way]] on city streets.<ref>[http://www.trolleycar.org/observations/geissenheimer/geissenheimer011227.htm Free Congress Foundation Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Such an extension would provide direct service to the workplaces of state employees and other workers in downtown Trenton.  While the project is supported by City of Trenton officials, NJT did not elect to expand the already over-budget construction effort, but instead operates a branded "Capitol Connection" bus service, requiring River Line riders to transfer at Trenton Transit Center.

===West Trenton extension===
A third proposed extension would take the River Line beyond the State House through Trenton, to [[West Trenton (SEPTA station)|West Trenton station]] in [[Ewing Township, New Jersey]], connecting with [[SEPTA|SEPTA's]] [[West Trenton Line (SEPTA)|West Trenton Line]] service to Center City Philadelphia via [[Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Bucks]] and [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]] counties.  NJ Transit listed this extension on its 2020 Transit wish list map,<ref>[http://www.nj-arp.org/njt2020.html The 2020 Transit Map] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061008092846/http://www.nj-arp.org/njt2020.html |date=2006-10-08 }}, accessed December 26, 2006</ref> but has not taken further action.

===Additional double-track service===
Much of the River Line uses double track, however, in some places, there is no room for double-track service without narrowing or removing road lanes, such as [[Burlington, New Jersey|Burlington]] (where streets flank the single track on either side), [[Palmyra, New Jersey|Palmyra]] and Bordentown. Improving [[headway]]s from the current peak level of 15 minutes would require either building additional passing sidings or removing one lane of traffic on certain local roads.

==See also==
* [[Hudson–Bergen Light Rail]]
* [[Newark Light Rail]]
* [[Light rail in the United States]]
* [[List of tram and light rail transit systems]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Attached KML |display=inline,title}}
{{commons category}}
* [https://www.njtransit.com/light-rail-to NJ Transit – Light Rail Schedules]
* [http://www.pacerfarm.org/cgi-bin/sta01.cgi?div=CBO Bordentown Secondary mileposts]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070324062206/http://stb.dot.gov/decisions/readingroom.nsf/ByDocketNumber?OpenView&Start=6685 STB - Acquisition Exemption FD-33786]

{{New Jersey Transit Light Rail}}
{{Delaware Valley transit}}
{{USLightRail}}

[[Category:NJ Transit Rail Operations]]
[[Category:New Jersey streetcar lines]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Railroad lines]]
[[Category:Interurban railways in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Light rail in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 2004]]
[[Category:Transportation in Camden County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Transportation in Burlington County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Transportation in Mercer County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Standard-gauge railways in the United States]]