Armato, Mazzeo call on DoT to reopen Atlantic City line

Assemblymen Vince Mazzeo and John Armato called on the state Department of Transportation to reopen the Atlantic City Rail Line, the continued closure of which they said threatens to upend the region’s tourism-based economy.

“As the Department of Transportation, it’s your job to make sure New Jersey residents get where they need to go. But with the Atlantic City Rail Line shut down, we’ve got some serious transportation problems,” Mazzeo said. “The once convenient commute from Atlantic City to Philadelphia has become downright exhausting. Tourists cannot get into the city by train, a problem that will only get worse as we approach the peak summer season. Everyday lives are affected. It’s for time the Department of Transportation to step in and ask NJ Transit and our Governor to end this debacle.”

The ACRL was closed in September so transit officials could meet a federal deadline for the installation of positive train controls.

At the time of the closure, they said they expected the line to reopen by the end of 2018. The reopening date was later pushed back to some time in January, but with February mostly done, the line is still out of service.

“There’s got to be a reason why the Atlantic City Rail Line remains closed almost two months after positive train control equipment was installed,” Armato said. “The Department of Transportation should be able to work with NJ Transit and the Governor to fix these issues. It’s their responsibility to ensure effective transportation across the state. And if they are already working to reopen the line, the public deserves to know about it.”