Andrzejczak, Land, Milam Issues Statement on NJ Transit’s Refusal to Reopen the AC Rail Line

Trenton – Senator Bob Andrzejczak, Assemblyman Bruce Land and Assemblyman Matt Milam issued the following the statement on NJ Transit’s continued and stubborn refusal to reopen the Atlantic City Rail Line:

“After Wednesday’s public hearing, where dozens of South Jersey residents took off from work and took time away for family to travel up the Parkway to NJ Transit’s headquarters in Newark to testify on the effect that the continued shutdown of the Atlantic City Rail Line is having on their lives, we would expect more from Executive Director Kevin Corbett. Instead, it was more of the same. More vague assurances that the line will reopen at some undefined time in the second quarter, a minimum of three months after Director Corbett promised the line would reopen. More hollow words of sympathy and understanding of how this is impacting the everyday lives of South Jersey residents.

If Director Corbett was more transparent and forthcoming with information, commuters might better understand the delay. Instead, we are told that the delay is due to the need for final sign off of its schedule by the Federal Railroad Administration. This was almost immediately rebuked by the FRA in January, whose spokesman said that NJ Transit could move forward without any further approval from the federal agency.

What is perhaps most telling is that Director Corbett acknowledged, according to Press accounts from Wednesday’s hearings, that engineer shortages and equipment shortages are holding up renewal of service, a theory held by many area residents. This is simply another example of South Jersey getting short changed by Trenton and Newark bureaucrats in favor of North Jersey.

We call on Director Corbett and administration officials to provide full transparency as to the true status of the Atlantic City Rail Line. The people of South Jersey deserve better.”