Transportation NYC-AC Questions: Train and Boat

[Poshua]

1) Does anyone have an update on the ACES express train service from NYC to AC? When it was announced, they said it would start in "late 2007." I haven't seen any subsequent announcements, though. Is it starting soon?

2) Has there ever been an attempt to provide passenger ferry service from New York to Atlantic City? While it sounds like a sort of silly idea since it would run along the shore rather than bridging a body of water, I feel like it could have a lot of popular appeal. It's 81 nautical miles, and the New York Water Taxi vessels (for example) can go up to 26 knots, so the service could be provided in just over three hours.

I feel like you could aim it at a higher price point and more upscale demographic than the bus, and still come in cheaper than the train, which is supposed to be priced comparably to Acela. When it's not rush hour, the NYC ferry operators have lots of ships not in use. Also, traveling by boat is novel and fun, especially in the summer. Would there be something cost-prohibitive about this?

[SteelWheel]

Back in the 80s, when I used to play a lot of BJ at Trump Plaza, there was a helicopter that ran from somewhere on the West Side right to Trump Plaza. No idea if it's still running, but you might want to ask around and see if it is.

As for ferry service: I took a ferry from Long Island to the marina area once for a day trip--I would never do it again. As it turns out, I'm very susceptible to motion sickness, and I had the bad luck to pick one of the choppiest days of the year, to boot; I was ralphing over the side of the boat the whole way there. Conditions had gotten worse by the time our return trip was to get underway. A whole ton of buses were chartered instead. Yuck.

These days, if I want to go to AC, I'm resigned to just driving there, as annoying as I find it to be.

[Poshua]

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Back in the 80s, when I used to play a lot of BJ at Trump Plaza, there was a helicopter that ran from somewhere on the West Side right to Trump Plaza. No idea if it's still running, but you might want to ask around and see if it is.

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I don't know about regularly scheduled service, but I have seen helicopter companies advertising that you can charter one to AC. It's a bit out of my price range.

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As for ferry service: I took a ferry from Long Island to the marina area once for a day trip--I would never do it again. As it turns out, I'm very susceptible to motion sickness, and I had the bad luck to pick one of the choppiest days of the year, to boot; I was ralphing over the side of the boat the whole way there. Conditions had gotten worse by the time our return trip was to get underway. A whole ton of buses were chartered instead. Yuck.

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Sounds like the ferry was a charter, not a scheduled service. Right?

[SteelWheel]

Nope, ferry was a scheduled service--ran daily from Inwood to Harrah's.

[jjshabado]

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These days, if I want to go to AC, I'm resigned to just driving there, as annoying as I find it to be.

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Yup, I'm with you.