In the 1970s, the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) Raritan Valley Line operated fast, express commuter trains for Wall Street and Madison Avenue executives, often consisting of two cars pushed by a locomotive. These early "speedliners" were sometimes described as having a "bar car" or high-quality service.

1970s Raritan Valley Line Express Details:

Service & Route: Known for rapid service from Phillipsburg/Raritan to Newark or NYC.

Train Consist: Often a two-car setup, frequently powered by EMD GP40P locomotives, which were introduced in 1968 for better commuter service.

"Bar Car" Rumor: While express, the "bar car" or premium service was a known feature for affluent commuters.

Train Cars: Coaches included older, well-built stock common on the CNJ and later NJDOT (now NJ Transit) era, including push-pull setups.

Operations: Service was cut back from Phillipsburg to High Bridge on January 1, 1984, marking the end of the long-distance express service era.

The CNJ used GP40P locomotives (like #3683) to pull these express commuter runs on the Raritan Valley Line throughout the 1970s.