ACES train off the tracks

[Automatic Monkey]

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/atlantic-city_pleasantville_brigantine/aces-train-service-between-atlantic-city-and-new-york-could/article_2862ed9c-9c7b-11e0-a2d4-001cc4c03286.html

I have a clue as to the reason why- your schedule sucks! If you are anything but a retiree who lives in midtown Manhattan or downtown Newark this train is inaccessible to you.

Why the hell does it leave from Penn Station, easy to get to from nowhere? If it served Grand Central people from Long Island, upstate NY, and CT could easily get to it via Metro North and LIRR. Instead a commuter from the north or east would have to take the train to GCT, then you have a long walk or a cab ride to Penn because if you have any luggage bigger than a briefcase you can't get on the subway. The easiest thing for me to do would have been to take Amtrak from CT to Penn Station Newark, but between the expense, the long roundabout trip and the horribly inconvenient schedule (you get a choice of leaving work early or getting to AC late at night) it's not worth it, better to drive or take the damned dirty bus from the Port Authority.

Here's a clue for NJ Transit: run a bus between AC and the Bay Head or Point Pleasant train stations if you want people to use the train. The train will get you half or more through the shore traffic and there's only an hour left on the bus to AC. That's 3:20 NYC to AC which is a bargain in traffic. You could run an express to Bay Head with a dedicated bus waiting to complete the link to AC and it would be very popular and probably faster than the "express" ACES you are running now.

 

[Machinist]

WTF!!!!!! Thought you had screwed up some ace tracking gig or something!!!!!
LMAO!!! :grin:
I couldn't imagine the horror of trying to get to AC like that......

Machinist

 

[The Chaperone]

I couldn't imagine the horror of trying to get to AC like that......

Machinist

It's amazing to me that ploppies do this. Probably even more amazing that APs put up with it. I think I would take a job at McDonald's if that were my only AP option.

 

[21forme]

Part of the problem is the shore line stops about 20 miles north of AC, so the train had to take the NE Corridor line through Philly (without stopping in Phillly for potential, additional passengers, duh).
AM, FYI, the LIRR goes to Penn Sta, not Grand Central.

 

[Gamblor]

Part of the problem is the shore line stops about 20 miles north of AC, so the train had to take the NE Corridor line through Philly (without stopping in Phillly for potential, additional passengers, duh).
AM, FYI, the LIRR goes to Penn Sta, not Grand Central.

Always made me wonder why NJ would not just extend the tracks another 20 miles to AC. A direct line from NYC/Newark and its 8 million + residents to AC.

Nah we don't want more casino tax revenue, we'd rather waste 3 billion on a tunnel to NYC and then halt the project.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

It's amazing to me that ploppies do this. Probably even more amazing that APs put up with it. I think I would take a job at McDonald's if that were my only AP option.

Funny, I'd rather play there than almost anyplace. A weekend in AC is like a weekend locked in a women's prison. It's going to be ugly, but you'll get what you need.

 

[B Jack Trash]

AM, If it's the women's prison experience you are looking for, skip the train. You can just borrow my car.

 

[shadroch]

The Long Island Railroad goes into Penn Station, not Grand Central.
Tha vast majority of NY subways in Manhattan run along either 6th or 8th.Penn Station runs between 6th and *th, although most entrances are between 7th and 8th.
I'm not aware of any tunnel that connects Grand Central with New Jersey, so running a train from GC to Ac would be impossible.

 

[Machinist]

Funny, I'd rather play there than almost anyplace. A weekend in AC is like a weekend locked in a women's prison. It's going to be ugly, but you'll get what you need.

.........

Mac

 

[kewljason]

I can't speak of the Aces train but the last couple years of my AC play, I used to ride the NJ Transit train from Phila to AC, 2-3 times round trip per week. As someone who used the bus for AC transportation, I thought the train was great. A nice upgrade. The train ran between AC and Philadelphia at a cost of $8 one way, but hardly anyone rode from Philadelphia. Only tourists who connected from amtrac. The locals would catch the Patco line out of Philadelphia, which was a high speed commuter line into suburban south Jersey. The last stop of Patco which was a 20 minute ride was the Lindenwold station where you could connect with the NJ transit train. Using the Patco line and connecting half way was faster and cheaper at a total cost of $6.45. Once you connected to the NJ Transit train was about a 50 minute ride to AC stopping at 4 small towns along the way. The train was never crowded, mostly used by casino workers and you had plenty of room to stretch out. The 50 minute ride was like a little buffer for me between my regular life and casino life. Just enough time to go through my flash cards and relax and clear my head before arriving. The return trip allowed for me to mentally review my trip and make any notes and maybe catch a 20 minute nap before transitioning back to my regular life. At the AC end there was free shuttle service to each casino and on the Philly end, I lived half a block from where the Patco line ended so the whole trip was very convenient as well as economical for me.

One odd thing about that line from Phila to AC was that it was a single track line. There were a handful of places were there was a side track so trains could pull over and let an oncoming train pass. This usually happened about once a trip, until they started running the Aces train a few years back. The Aces train used this same single track for the last leg of the journey, which meant there was now double the trains vying for this single track. Lol

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Always made me wonder why NJ would not just extend the tracks another 20 miles to AC. A direct line from NYC/Newark and its 8 million + residents to AC.

Nah we don't want more casino tax revenue, we'd rather waste 3 billion on a tunnel to NYC and then halt the project.

Is it only 20 miles? The last commuter stop is 60 miles north. If there was a track approaching within 20 miles, the most effective thing to do would be build a station there and bus people the rest of the way to the individual casinos. The casinos could provide their own transportation from the station for their whales. Most people who get off a train in AC have to get on a jitney anyway, not much of a difference whether you bus them 3 miles or 20.

 

[Gamblor]

Is it only 20 miles? The last commuter stop is 60 miles north. If there was a track approaching within 20 miles, the most effective thing to do would be build a station there and bus people the rest of the way to the individual casinos. The casinos could provide their own transportation from the station for their whales. Most people who get off a train in AC have to get on a jitney anyway, not much of a difference whether you bus them 3 miles or 20.

Your right, last commuter stop is in Bays Head. There is another railway track NJ Central line that goes into Barnegat and cuts down the middle of NJ, but probably an old line.

If I was NJ transit, would just consider building the rest of the line from Bays Head to AC, some towns along the way like Toms River, Barnegat, Manahawkin on the way anyways.

Plus you get to avoid overworked Chinese bus drivers.

 

[21forme]

Is it only 20 miles?

You're right. My bad. Bay Head is more north than I thought it was. Personally, I've never taken the Shore line, just the NE corridor line.

 

[WABJ11]

I do not enjoy taking Greyhound from Port Authority, and was very excited when ACES rolled out. But the inconvenient schedule, high prices, and same duration as the bus makes the train a very unattractive offer.

 

[alwayssplitaces]

You can get free slot play equal to the price of your ticket if you take the bus. That makes the expected cost of travel less than a dollar if you play it through just once and cash out.

Now what would be nice is a weekend cruise from the Hamptons or NYC to Atlantic City. People would gamble as soon as the boat went 3 miles offshore all the way till it's 3 miles from AC, and then they'd continue gambling in AC. Would be a nice way for high rollers to get to AC.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

I do not enjoy taking Greyhound from Port Authority, and was very excited when ACES rolled out. But the inconvenient schedule, high prices, and same duration as the bus makes the train a very unattractive offer.

For me, the ride from NYC to AC is pleasant compared to what it takes to get into the Port Authority. Last time I took the damned Peter Pan bus down to NYC he got lost in Harlem (it's the only way he can get there, longway through Manhattan) because he wasn't the regular driver and it was his first time on that route. Then he started having an emotional breakdown. I had to give him directions through Manhattan, and he was one outburst away from me making him stop the bus and getting off.

I'd happily fly for $200 R/T if it would take 4 hours off the round trip. I've got to wonder what a general aviation pilot at the local airfield would charge.

 

[WABJ11]

For me, the ride from NYC to AC is pleasant compared to what it takes to get into the Port Authority. Last time I took the damned Peter Pan bus down to NYC he got lost in Harlem (it's the only way he can get there, longway through Manhattan) because he wasn't the regular driver and it was his first time on that route. Then he started having an emotional breakdown. I had to give him directions through Manhattan, and he was one outburst away from me making him stop the bus and getting off.

I'd happily fly for $200 R/T if it would take 4 hours off the round trip. I've got to wonder what a general aviation pilot at the local airfield would charge.

LOL:laugh:

I have my own set of AC bus stories trust me, and its true PA isn't convenient, depending on where you live. But its still the most economical option and when your going as often as I do its the only way.

Have you ever tried the Hampton Luxury Liner? Its a more limited schedule but it gets rid of the riff raff.

 

[johndoe]

I'd happily fly for $200 R/T if it would take 4 hours off the round trip. I've got to wonder what a general aviation pilot at the local airfield would charge.

If you know any pilots, they may do it at direct cost (plane rental). Or ask around at the flight schools.

Most of the ones I know love building their hours and look for any excuses to fly. Typical small plane rental is in the $100/hr range for time spent in the air. (Including fuel)

Just don't count on a schedule; bad weather will ground you.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

If you know any pilots, they may do it at direct cost (plane rental). Or ask around at the flight schools.

Most of the ones I know love building their hours and look for any excuses to fly. Typical small plane rental is in the $100/hr range for time spent in the air. (Including fuel)

Just don't count on a schedule; bad weather will ground you.

Well that sounds good, it should be no more than an hour to AC by air. So that's $200 R/T and the bus would be about $50 once I factor in all the costs, for a $150 difference and about an extra 6 hours at the tables.

 

[pit15]

Well that sounds good, it should be no more than an hour to AC by air. So that's $200 R/T and the bus would be about $50 once I factor in all the costs, for a $150 difference and about an extra 6 hours at the tables.

$400 R/T*

The pilot isn't hanging out in AC until you decide you want to go back. He's going to fly you there, fly back, then fly to AC again to come get you, then fly back.

Though.. if you find a pilot who likes to hang out in AC, you can comp him a room and a few nice meals in exchange for a free flight back and forth.