Atlantic City Rail Line Restoration Pressed Back | The main issues
ATLANTIC CITY – Atlantic City Rail Line may remain closed for up to five months.
The line, which stopped running between Philadelphia and Atlantic City in September for the installation of federally authorized security equipment, was originally supposed to resume service at the beginning of 2019. NJ Transit pointed commuters to bus service instead.
"We recognize the impact these service adjustments have had on our valued customers, especially those using our ACRL and Princeton Dinky services," NJ Transaction Director Kevin Corbett said in a statement Friday afternoon. "Our goal is to begin restoring a service that is still reliable and predictable for customers as quickly as possible. I share our customers' frustration and thank them for their continued patience during this time."
Still missing a final date for passenger train service to resume, NJ Transit could take place in "second quarter of 2019."
But during a transport committee hearing in Trenton on Thursday, members discussed parts of a conversation from earlier in the day with NJ Transit where Assemblyman Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, said "we could see this situation going on for another five months."
US Rep. Jeff Van Drew, D-2, condemned public transport agency Friday.
"The lack of communication and delay of ACRL's restoration line is completely unacceptable, causing extreme frustration for commuters in South Jersey and affecting our regional economy," Van Drew said in a statement. "It feels like South Jersey is getting the short end of the stick, and I don't want to tolerate this. I'll immediately call NJ Transit and find out what the hell is going on and answer it."
Assemblyman John Armato, D – The Atlantic, said neither he nor his district partner, congregation Vince Mazzeo, could get a right answer from NJ Transit as to why no other train line in the state had to be completely closed or when the service was to resume.
In December, NJ Transit announced that it had faced a federal deadline for installing positive train control, technology to stop trains before human error waves, including high-speed and train-crash barriers.
When this announcement was made, NJ Transit would say that the service should be resumed "in early 2019."
The federally mandated equipment installation began in September. During a public forum at the Atlantic City Rail Terminal in August launched by State Secretary Chris Brown, the Atlantic Ocean, Corbett told media media to continue on January 1.
"I spoke to CEO Corbett today and let him know that Atlantic County families deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and that the NJ Transit's incompetence and broken promises are totally unacceptable. Get their action together quickly so our middle class families can come to work and make a living, "Brown said Friday.
Mazzeo said it is "unfortunate" the deadline has been pushed back.
"We will continue to push all parties involved, including the governor's office, to restore AC Rail Line as soon as possible,
Since that nnouncement in September there has been speculation among the riders that the stop was permanent, given the line's thin rider. pushed back on these claims.
In 2011, annual driving at Atlantic City Rail Line was just over 1.38 million. In 2017, ridership dropped to less than 1 million, down more than 9 percent from 2016, according to NJ Transit.
Ridership was down 4.1 percent in 2018 before service was suspended.