CharlieL wrote: ↑Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:05 pm
According to the grant request, conrail has been looking since 2017 (2018?) for a short line operator to take over the southern. Only way possible is to reconnect freehold to the southern since NJT will not allow other operators on the NJCL. Apparently they picked D&D to do it. Conrail has IRREVOCABLE, TRANSFERABLE rights to Freehold and Southern. I would cut & paste relevant sections of the grant but it is PDF format. For a copy PM me your email address and I will send it to you (see previous entries in this and the related topic about the grant request).
Finally some public confirmation on this topic. For the last couple of months, it's been a back and fourth between the "they will only just rehab the line" and "they will take over the entire line." Hoping to see D&D move fast with this and we start seeing D&D paint on the SOUS soon.
My only question is, what will happen to Farmingdale-Red Bank? If D&D goes through Jamesburg-Freehold-Farmingdale for SOUS connection a) the two lines have merged into one b) would they still serve customers north of Farmingdale, like Extec, Bel-Air, and MarJam? c) will Farmingdale-Red Bank be rail banked for the time being?
There are a few potential customers between Farmingdale-Red Bank that could be served. If you view Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply, they have a siding that connects to their building but the switch for it on the main has been removed. I'm sure there are a few others that are also in this situation, and I do know D&D would be more proactive about retaining/getting customers to Conrail/Class I's.