Reasoning for NJT ACL

[choochoochuck272]

Ok, so I know I kind of only come on here and ask questions, but hey, I'm learning so maybe someday I'll be able to answer some.

So I've gotten to thinking, what made the original planners of the revival of the atlantic city line choose the rail route through South Jersey that they did? Weren't there a couple of routes to the shore, including the one via Clementon? Also, what made them choose stations in the locations they did, other than population.

Thanks.

[chuchubob]

Amtrak rebuilt the AC line. It was the route that connects with the Delair Bridge, the linethat had previously been the passenger route a few years earlier.

[Steam man]

Weren't there a couple of routes to the shore, including the one via Clementon?

Yes,at one time there was. The lines to AC included the present one which was the old WJ&S (PRR) main from Camden with the connection at Haddonfield with the bridge line. There was the 'Turkeypath' which ran from Newfield on the Millville Branch via Mizpah,Richland and Mays Landing on to AC. Then there was the ACRR mainline from Kaighn's Point in Camden to AC via Haddon Heigths,Clemonton,Williamstown Jct, Winslow,Egg Harbor and P'ville.

Now the logistics:

Turkey path- long gone.

Clementon route - No easy acess to a northern terminus such as Broadway in Camden and as such,no connection available with the PATCO line for Philadelphia passengers.. No areas for a car parking either in place or for new ones to be built. Perhaps a minor concern at Winslow crossing over the trains from the Clementon Branch via the connection to the AC main. It's a straight shot on the line now.

Present line was the only way to go really. Connection to Philadelphia and the NEC was still intact via bridge route. Easy acess to PATCO pretty much already in place at Lindenwold, along with available parking. Cherry Hill and Atco areas had places to build car parks. Station stops were based on projected (hopefully mostly) centres of population and probable use.

Bottom line-Cost factors for bringing the line up to FRA standerds for 80 mph operation to make travel time somewhat reasonable.

[rrbluesman]

The current route the ACL runs on is the only option. The WJS (PRR) route was selected to Atlantic City at the time of the merger of the WJS and the ACRR (Reading Company) over the ACRR's route to AC because the WJS was more direct and had better connections, but the ACRR route had the better route to and from the Cape May points than the WJS route, so the ACRR became the Clementon Branch and the Cape May Route. Shortly after the merger of the routes into the PRSL, the ACRR line to AC was abandoned east of Winslow Junction in favor of the WJS. And, as noted before, the Turkey Path has been long gone, so they did with what they had.

[prr60]

And to add to all the above reasons, the line from just east of the Delair Bridge to Atlantic City was owned by NJ Transit (except for the portion between Haddonfield and Lindenwold that was owned by the DRPA). With the direct connection to Philadelphia (used in the early years by Amtrak), it was really the only viable route for lots of reasons.