After a nine-month hiatus in Philadelphia to Atlantic City rail service due to train servicing, NJ Transit announced it has resumed service along its Atlantic City line. The state agency reopened the rail line from the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia to the Atlantic City rail terminal ceremonially on May 12 and resumed full service on Memorial Day weekend.
NJ Transit said the closure of the line was due to Positive Train Control system installations in the northern half of the state. Service along the rail line was suspended in September, shortly before South Jersey Gas opened its new headquarters as part of the $210 million Atlantic City Gateway project.
The Atlantic City Line runs from the 30th Street station through Pennsauken, Cherry Hill, Egg Harbor City, Hammonton, and Absecon, to name a few. The line includes eight stops in total and runs 44 weekly trains.
According to the Press of Atlantic City, the temporary closure of the rail line received heavy backlash from commuters and elected officials. The reopening was also pushed back multiple times from its original date in early 2019.
NJ Transit opened the Pennsauken Transit Center in 2013 to connect Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor at the Trenton Transit Center via the River Line light rail. The state agency also announced the reopening of the Princeton Branch on May 12.
According to NJ Transit, annual ridership on the line dropped from 1.38 million in 2011 to less than 1 million in 2017. Ridership had also decreased by 4.1% on a year-to-date basis before service was suspended.
The Atlantic City line was part of a joint venture of Southern New Jersey seashore routes by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Philadelphia and Reading Railway. Service began in 1933 and was later transferred to Conrail and NJ Transit.
