Gauging need for South Jersey rail service

Here's my poll question.

I think a necessity in South Jersey is a link to the rest of the NJT system. This can be accomplished now by a connection between the River Line and the ACL. In the future, an extension of MOM to Winslow would work nicely.

Hey, I wouldn't mind having the NJCL go to Atlantic City. But this won't happen and besides, the ride to Bay Head from NY long enough!

Depends on what you mean by South Jersey...

Monmouth/Ocean County- Yes
Atlantic/Cumberland/Camden County- No

I think one thing that might work well is if the CMSL were to hand over operations to NJT, and NJT began a Cape May-Philadelphia and/or Cape May-Atlantic City commuter rail line, using equipment like that on the ACL. The trackage (and stations more or less) is there; it just needs a s*itload of work, but I think we can pull it off...

Is there physical connection (trackage) between ACL and NJCL OR ACL and NEC (via Monmouth Jctn or other points IN NJ)? I just had this image of an Atlantic City Express train from NYP to AC being a great alternative to similar bus excursions.

The NJCL won't ever go to AC. Besides, it would have to cross Barnegat Bay first and go through a bunch of towns that never had rail service. (There was at one time the "Philadelphia & Long Branch RR" which actually was an extension of the NY&LB from Bay Head through Mantoloking, Lavallette, etc. into Seaside Heights/Park, across Barnegat Bay, via Toms River and a bunch of other towns, to reach Camden. Refer to this map to see which railroad went where.)

The best rail route between the NY metro area and AC was the old CNJ "Blue Comet" route via the Southern Division (now the Southern Secondary), part of whose route is intended to become the MOM line. The line is derelict between Lakehurst and Winslow Junction (where it joins the current AC line), but it still exists and could be rebuilt if there were enough public pressure on the governments (both federal and state).

And of course, most of us know where the PRR's "Nellie Bly" used to run, on what is now the Northeast Corridor, "River LINE" and AC Line...

I think one thing that might work well is if the CMSL were to hand over operations to NJT, and NJT began a Cape May-Philadelphia and/or Cape May-Atlantic City commuter rail line, using equipment like that on the ACL. The trackage (and stations more or less) is there; it just needs a s*itload of work, but I think we can pull it off...

Does anyone else remember the posters in Hoboken Terminal about ten or fifteen years ago regarding NJT's interest in Cape May Service? They must have been posted around the same time as the opening of the ACL. The catch phrase at the top of the poster read "May I Take A Train To Cape May? Yes You May!" Beneath that it described NJT's desire to operate service to Cape May. Obviously, this never panned out, but it sure would have been interesting if NJT did take over the service.

I wish I had a picture of one of those posters. They are one of those things that no one ever believes existed...

Seems like Cape May service would be more of a seasonal service. $.02