GE Genesis P40DC No. 4800 runs in diesel under wire pulling Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) train No. 7163

through Elizabeth express down the Northeast Corridor to Atlantic City. 6 February 2009. Click to enlarge.

(AEMoreira042281, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

ATLANTIC CITY EXPRESS SERVICE

This article is about the NJ Transit train service. For the Amtrak train service, see Atlantic City Express (Amtrak train).

The Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) was an inter-city train service offered by the Borgata, Caesars Atlantic City, and Harrah's Atlantic City, operating from February 2009 until September 2011. It was operated by New Jersey Transit under contract, and funded by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. The train provided summer seasonal service between New York City and Atlantic City three days a week, operating along the Northeast Corridor and Atlantic City Line. The train was formally discontinued on March 9, 2012.

Background

With the success of NJT's commuter service to Atlantic City, talks about direct service to New York were discussed. In June 2006, the board of New Jersey Transit accepted a plan for an express service between Atlantic City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Station in Midtown Manhattan, for a three-year trial initially slated to begin in 2007 (Newark Penn was not initially intended as a stop, but it would be added during the planning stages). Because of delays in acquiring the cars and preparing the needed motive power (the 8 cars for this service are part of a larger 329-car order, and the four diesel locomotives were acquired from Amtrak), the service did not begin until February 2009.

The fleet was composed of eight bilevel rail cars carrying both ACES and NJ Transit markings, with service funded by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and three casinos, Caesars, Harrah's, and the Borgata. Each train contained 300 seats with 4 cars per train. The multi-level cars' interior was customized for the ACES service, adding first class seating sections and lounge facilities. The cars were dedicated to ACES service and were never used for regular passenger service by NJ Transit.

In January 2011, service was suspended until May, citing low ridership and a $6 million loss in the first year of operations. Service resumed May 13, 2011 and ended September 18, 2011. The formal discontinuation of the route was announced on March 9, 2012.

Sample consist

October 18, 2009
Location: Newark, NJ
Train No. 7181
P40DC Locomotive No. 4803
Bi-level Coach No. 7229
Bi-level Coach No. 7232
Bi-level Coach No. 7233
Bi-level Coach No. 7236
ALP-44 Locomotive No. 4409

The ACES passenger cars were converted to regular NJT cars by Bombardier from 2013 until 2014. They re-entered NJT service in mid-2014. The dual-powered locomotives are used to provide service from the Raritan Valley Line into New York City Penn Station.

ACES fares

Tickets for the ACES service were priced on a dynamic pricing scale, with tickets varying between $29 and $69 for one-way coach travel, first-class service available for a $20 upgrade from the coach fare, and lounge rental available for a $200 to $300 upgrade from the coach fare.

Route

Trains picked up passengers at New York Penn Station and Newark Penn Station, then ran non-stop to/from the Atlantic City Rail Terminal in about two-and-a-half to three hours.

Trains departed New York pushed by an ALP-44 electric locomotive and led by a dormant GE P40DC diesel locomotive until Frankford Junction in North Philadelphia. At this junction in North Philadelphia, the train reversed direction and was pushed by the P40DC along the Atlantic City Line. Northbound, the P40DC pulled the train to Frankford Junction, and then the ALP-44 pulled the train up the Northeast Corridor to New York. Sometimes, trains would switch between electric and diesel power at Newark, depending on operational conditions.

Station listing

ACES trains made the following station stops:

New York City Penn Station
Newark Penn Station
Atlantic City Rail Terminal

Overview

Service type: Inter-city rail
Status: Discontinued
Locale: New Jersey, New York City
Predecessor: Atlantic City Express (Amtrak)
First service: February 6, 2009
Last service: September 18, 2011 (last service); March 9, 2012 (official discontinuation)
Successor: None
Former operator: New Jersey Transit Rail Operations
Route Termini: New York Penn Station / Atlantic City Rail Terminal
Stops: 1
Average journey time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
Service frequency: Friday to Sunday only
On-board services
Classes: Coach, first class
Disabled access: Yes
Seating arrangements: Reserved
Catering facilities: Food and beverage kiosks
Entertainment facilities: Private lounge rental available
Baggage facilities: Luggage racks
Technical
Rolling stock: GE Genesis P40DC; ALP-44; Bombardier MultiLevel Coach
Track owners: Amtrak, NJ Transit
Timetable number: ACES