As the system improved , demand for service increased , and in the late 1990 's , the agency expanded rapidly : a huge switching and track project extended a direct ride into Manhattan for thousands of suburban commuters ; a new station at Newark Airport added a direct link for air passengers ; a station in Secaucus allowed residents north of Hoboken to ride directly into New York ; and two light-rail systems opened , one linking towns along the Hudson , the other connecting Delaware River towns in the south .