Delaware & Raritan River Railroad Completes F&S Connection
Farmingdale, NJ
October 1, 2023
The Delaware & Raritan River Railroad is pleased to announce completion of the “F&S Connection,” a 5-mile track rehabilitation project between Freehold and Farmingdale, through Howell, New Jersey, nine months ahead of schedule.
The Railroad ran a test train over the rebuilt track on September 15, 2023, marking the first train to run through between Freehold and Farmingdale since 1985. Regular train service on the line ended with the Penn Central in 1975, and will resume in early October.
The project which links the Railroad’s Freehold and Southern branches started in January 2023 and included vegetation clearing, six (6) upgraded grade crossings, 25,000 track feet of relayed rail, and 12,500 new crossties, over 8,000 of which were made of environmentally sustainable steel.
In addition to linking the Railroad’s separate branches into one efficient network, the project reroutes freight trains off of New Jersey Transit’s busy North Jersey Coastline, opens the Southern branch for heavier 286K railcars, consolidates interchange with Conrail at Jamesburg, and provides a shorter and faster route to rail customers in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
“This is such a great public/private project” Kean Burenga, President said, “with benefits to the community, customers, and railroads alike.”
The Railroad will be marking the completion of the F&S Connection with the driving of the last spike by Farmingdale Mayor Jim Daly and Howell Mayor Theresa Berger near Academy Street on Friday October 13, 2023 at 1:00PM. The event, which is open to the public, will include railroad displays, remarks by dignitaries, and live music until 5:00PM.
In addition to network efficiencies, the rebuilt railroad is expected to attract new rail customers and reduce local truck traffic.
“With safer and more direct infrastructure in place, we look forward to working with new and existing customers to grow rail traffic on the Delaware & Raritan,” Cathrin Banks, Executive Vice-President said. Ms. Banks oversees the company’s business development efforts.
The $12M project was funded in large part by the New Jersey Department of Transportation Rail Freight Assistance Program, and the State’s grade crossing improvement funds. Accessorial work yet to be completed under the project will include the South Leg of the Farmingdale Wye, siding construction and rehabilitation, and grade crossing improvements in Freehold, Howell, and Shrewsbury.
Tracks Unlimited of Mountainside and Railroad Construction of Paterson were the low bid contractor’s that provided materials, equipment, administration, design assistance, and agreement labor to rebuild the tracks and crossings.
“We are very excited to be a part of this project which is great for commerce and great for the economy,” Andy Creteau, General Manager of Tracks Unlimited said.
DRR’s first test train running between Freehold and Farmingdale on September 15, 2023.
Short line Delaware & Raritan River Railroad, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chesapeake and Delaware LLC, operates and leases 50 miles of freight trackage in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties from Conrail and New Jersey Transit. Via Conrail the Delaware & Raritan has interchanges with CSX and Norfolk Southern and connects local customers to every port and rail siding on the North American rail network.
The Freehold Branch was built in 1851 by the Jamesburg & Freehold Agricultural Railroad, from a junction with the Camden & Amboy Railroad (New Jersey’s first railroad) to Sea Girt. In 1871 it became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system.
The Southern Branch was built by the Raritan & Delaware Bay Railroad Company and completed to Lakewood in 1860. It became the Southern Main of the Central Railroad of New Jersey in 1879 and was the route of the famous Blue Comet passenger train which operated between Jersey City and Atlantic City.
Chesapeake and Delaware operates 208 route miles of railroad in New Jersey, serving short line freight customers in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, and Warren Counties, including wholly owned Delaware & Raritan River (DRR), Dover & Delaware River (DD), Dover & Rockaway River (DRRV) Railroads, and affiliates Belvidere & Delaware River Railway (BDRV) and Black River & Western Railroad (BRW). Chesapeake and Delaware LLC was formed in 2017.
