West Jersey and Seashore Railroad

West Jersey and Seashore Railroad
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Railroad
Predecessor	West Jersey Railroad, Alloway and Quinton Railroad, Camden and Atlantic Railroad, Chelsea Branch Railroad, Philadelphia, Marlton and Medford Railroad
Founded	May 4, 1896; 130 years ago
Fate	Leased by Pennsylvania Railroad in 1930; management transferred to Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1933; assets absorbed into Conrail in 1976
Headquarters	Camden, United States
Area served	New Jersey, Philadelphia connections
Parent	Pennsylvania Railroad (from 1930)

The West Jersey and Seashore Railroad (WJ&S) was a railway enterprise based in New Jersey that provided connections to Philadelphia. Established in May 1896 through the amalgamation of several smaller railroads, by 1925 it managed 379 miles of routes over 717 miles of track, transporting 166 million ton-miles of freight and 332 million passenger-miles. The Pennsylvania Railroad took over its lease in 1930, subsequently transferring management to the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1933. Ultimately, its infrastructure was consolidated into Conrail in 1976.

History

On May 4, 1896, the Pennsylvania Railroad unified its southern New Jersey holdings under the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad banner. This consolidation incorporated the West Jersey Railroad, Alloway and Quinton Railroad, Camden and Atlantic Railroad, Chelsea Branch Railroad, and Philadelphia, Marlton and Medford Railroad. The merger was postponed from March until May to accommodate proxy voting by shareholders.

Operating as a subsidiary of PRR, WJ&S maintained two principal routes originating from its Federal Street Terminal located in Camden:

The Main Line extended to Atlantic City via Winslow Junction, utilizing trackage rights on the Atlantic City Railroad's Cape May Branch to Woodbine Junction and the Cape May line serving Ocean City, Wildwood, and Cape May.
The electrified Millville Line ran through Woodbury to Millville, branching off at Newfield toward Atlantic City; this route employed both 650 V DC third rail and overhead catenary systems.

Additional branches connected Millville; Salem and Deep Water Point from Woodbury; as well as Bridgeton from Glassboro.

A tragic event took place on October 28, 1906, when a train accident in Atlantic City caused the deaths of 53 individuals after a three-car train plunged from an open swing bridge.

Camden and Atlantic Railroad

Chartered by New Jersey on March 19, 1852, the Camden and Atlantic Railroad established a connection between Camden and Atlantic City via Berlin. Completed by June 1854, it commenced regular passenger operations on July 4, transporting over 3,000 travelers on its inaugural day. Its popularity spurred competition from the Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railway, chartered in 1876 as a narrow gauge line paralleling its main route.

In May 1880, crews from the railroad were deployed to combat a significant forest fire threatening Atlantic City that resulted in damages exceeding $200,000. After financial developments in 1882—including accusations of bribery related to stockholder information—the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) gained control of Camden and Atlantic through its West Jersey Railroad subsidiary effective January 1, 1883.

The original Camden and Atlantic main line remains operational today, supporting passenger services such as the PATCO Speedline and NJ Transit’s Atlantic City Line.

West Jersey Railroad

Incorporated with an initial capital stock of $250,000 on March 29, 1853—following its New Jersey charter dated February 5, 1853—the West Jersey Railroad aimed to construct a line connecting Camden to Cape May. An additional $200,000 was subscribed in May of that year, bringing total capitalization to $450,000. After conducting route surveys, the company selected a path and built the railroad incrementally with financial support from the Camden and Amboy Railroad. The first segment of 8.2 miles utilized the abandoned Camden and Woodbury right-of-way and opened on April 15, 1857; subsequent extensions reached Glassboro by April 1, 1861, and Bridgeton by July 25, 1861. Completion of the full line occurred in 1863 with plans for further expansion from Glassboro toward Millville and Cape May. This corridor currently serves as the South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Operations' Vineland Secondary freight route, while the northern portion is designated for conversion into the Glassboro–Camden light rail system.

Millville and Glassboro Railroad

Chartered and incorporated in March 1859 by entrepreneurs from Millville, the 22-mile Millville and Glassboro Railroad (M&G) was established independently from the West Jersey Railroad. It commenced operations in October 1860. The M&G initiated construction of a route extending from Millville to Cape May but was forced to stop due to financial constraints. On April 1, 1868, it was absorbed into the West Jersey Railroad. An interesting historical note is that Charles K. Landis, the founder of Vineland, is said to have discovered the region during a journey on the M&G in 1861.

Cape May and Millville Railroad

In 1863, investors from Cape May County secured a New Jersey charter for the Cape May & Millville Railroad (CM&M). The first train service began on August 23, 1863, with the line completed by 1867, spanning a total of 41 miles. The CM&M was leased to the West Jersey Railroad (WJ) in 1869 and subsequently fully merged into it on August 27, 1879.

Salem Railroad

The Salem Railroad, covering a distance of 17 miles between Elmer and Salem, New Jersey, was chartered in 1856 and finished construction in 1863. It entered a lease agreement with the WJ on January 1, 1868, and was completely merged into the WJ by January 1, 1888.

Swedesboro Railroad

The Swedesboro Railroad received its charter in 1866 and was constructed by the WJ from Woodbury to Swedesboro over a length of 10.8 miles. Construction began in 1867; it was leased to the WJ on August 17, 1869, opened for service on September 11, and finalized construction in October of that year. Full integration into the WJ occurred on January 1, 1888.

Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad

Chartered in 1871, this railroad commenced operations on February 23, 1873. It was leased to the West Jersey Railroad starting January 1, 1883, and fully merged by January 1, 1888.

Additionally, on January 21, 1882, the WJ built a connecting track between the Swedesboro Railroad and Riddleton Junction on the Salem Railroad at the request of agricultural stakeholders from Woodstown. This link was completed in February 1883 and offered two separate routes into Salem for the WJ.

Maurice River Railroad

The Maurice River Railroad was established by the WJ to facilitate access to the lucrative Delaware Bay oyster industry. Incorporated on June 17, 1887, this line extended for 9.76 miles from Manumuskin to Maurice River and was completed by November 1 of the same year. The railroad was merged into the WJ on January 1, 1888.

West Jersey and Atlantic Railroad

Under direction from the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) in 1879, the WJ undertook construction of a rail line running from Newfield to Atlantic City via Mays Landing. After conducting surveys, incorporation occurred on November 6, 1879; construction began that month as well. The capital stock totaled $500,000 at $50 per share. This line stretched for 34.2 miles and was finished by June 16, 1880 before being leased to the WJ.

The section between Newfield and Mays Landing was abandoned on December 31, 1958; followed by closure of Mays Landing to McKee City on August 18, 1966. In a later development during 2003, part of this route from Egg Harbor Township to Mays Landing was transformed into the Atlantic County Bikeway rail trail.

Philadelphia Marlton and Medford Railroad

Incorporated and chartered in January of 1880, construction commenced in April that year for this railroad. Service initially ran between Haddonfield and Marlton by July of 1881 before extending to Medford on October 11, 1881. By January of 1885, operations were managed by the Camden and Atlantic Railroad; it later became known as the Medford Branch under the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad. Passenger service ceased on September 24, 1927; with formal abandonment occurring November 2, 1931.

The PM&M included stops at Haddonfield, Freeman, Orchard, Springdale, Locust Grove, Cropwell, Marlton, Elmwood Road, Melrose, and Medford. Except for Haddonfield, Marlton, and Medford stations—all regular stops—remaining stations operated as flag stops only.

Delaware River Railroad

Originally established on February 20, 1873, as the Delaware Shore Railroad with the intention of constructing a rail connection between Woodbury and Penns Grove, the line commenced operations in July 1876. However, it faced financial difficulties and declared bankruptcy by January 1879. Subsequently, it was reorganized under the name Delaware River Railroad (DRR). On April 30, 1900, ownership of the DRR was transferred to the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad (WJ&S). Today, this route forms a segment of Conrail's Penns Grove Secondary.

Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines

The West Jersey and Seashore Railroad was leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad starting July 1, 1930. Later, on November 2, 1932, the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company reached an agreement to consolidate their southern New Jersey rail operations beneath the Atlantic City Railroad—a Reading subsidiary since 1901. This merged entity was renamed the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL) effective July 15, 1933, with ownership divided as two-thirds by Pennsylvania and one-third by Reading. The Pennsylvania Railroad transferred its leasehold interest in the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad to PRSL. Although the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad continued as a non-operating subsidiary for some time, its assets were ultimately absorbed into Conrail in 1976.

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