Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 08, 2021 4:52 pm
NJDOT doesn’t do grants for passenger rail? Odd.
Well if that’s the case then couldn’t CMSL get a grant to rehab the line for freight service but do passenger runs later on as a long term goal?
NJT already receives a boatload of money from the state, since it's a state company. They wouldn't do grants, the state would just give money to itself.
Dcell wrote: ↑Wed Dec 08, 2021 5:10 pm
I was in Cape May two summers ago and followed the train tracks as best I could - they seemed to end behind a grocery store. There didn't seem to be many potential freight rail customers to my untrained eye. I have no clue about potential customers along the line north of Cape May. Car storage is nice and it generates money for Tony but I can't see potential customers for running freight service.
The line runs all the way to Winslow Junction if you follow it on a map. I believe it's still mostly in tact and unimpeded on. Cape May last had revenue commuter rail (not tourist rail) running out of Lindenwold back in October 1981
Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 08, 2021 5:32 pm
@Dcell there’s a few.
Cape Mining and Recycling
South Jersey Fuel & Propane
Tri County Building Supply
Cape May County Municipal Waste Transfer Station
Globe Petroleum
The only ones I’m not sure about are Cape May Lumber and Seashore Food Distributors. Both are pretty small, and trains are usually better for people who deal with a larger loads of whatever product they sell/distribute. Also Cape May Lumber is a bit far from the tracks so they’d probably have to do transloading from somewhere, provided they don’t already.
Going off of what @Ken W2KB said that is speculative. The Southern and FIT got grants since there is already more than a few customers on those lines with the potential for more (in addition to it being a potential North-South corridor discussed in the thread for 2021 rail grants), whereas the Cape May Branch has not had any freight service on it since it was handed over to Tony in the 80s.
I'm sure there is potential but unless Tony got the local businesses to show not only him but the state that gives out these grants that they would use rail for shipments, nothing can happen.