Delaware and Raritan River Railroad
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Ringoes, New Jersey |
| Reporting mark | DRR |
| Locale | Central New Jersey |
| Dates of operation | 2022– |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Other | |
| Website | Official website |
The Delaware and Raritan River Railroad (reporting mark DRR) is a short-line railroad that operates two lines in the central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The Southern Secondary runs from an interchange with Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) in Red Bank south to Lakewood. The Freehold Secondary runs from an interchange with CSAO in Jamesburg southeast to Farmingdale, New Jersey.. The Delaware and Raritan River Railroad is a subsidiary of Chesapeake and Delaware, LLC.[1] In 2022, Chesapeake and Delaware, LLC filed to take over rail service from CSAO on the Southern Secondary and Freehold Secondary, portions of which are owned by CSAO and NJ Transit.[2] The Delaware and Raritan River Railroad began operations on July 1, 2022.[1] As a result of this new operation & its aggressive management plans to increase traffic, the 5-mile stretch of previously dormant track between Freehold & Farmingdale was completely replaced with 25,000 feet of new rail, 12,500 ties (8,500 made from sustainable steel) and 6 road crossings between January 16, 2023, and September 15, 2023 (the work came in well ahead of time estimates and under budget). A test train ran on the restored line September 15, and following a last spike-driven ceremony in Farmingdale on October 13, 2023, the line was officially opened for freight train service. This effort will allow train service to efficiently run from Jamesburg to Lakewood directly, the current end of active service. A final but important project on the line is currently (as of 11/25/23) underway in Farmingdale. A long-abandoned wye is almost completely replaced, with the road crossing on Railroad Ave. to be installed the week of Dec. 4th, 2023. This last puzzle piece will allow direct service from Jamesburg to Lakewood in the south without the need to reverse the train upon arrival in Farmingdale. Currently, the one leg of the wye (complete & in use) heads north to Red Bank, facing opposite the Lakewood route. The result of this track restoration is to enable one train to serve the entire line, rather than two trains on two separate routes. Also, the track's northernmost customers (currently Brick Recycling & Laird & Co.) allow for exempt track to be in place from their location in Howell to Red Bank. Additionally, NJ Transit no longer needs to co-ordinate the D&RR freight trains around their busy commuter operations from NYC to Bay Head, NJ (The North Jersey Coast Line.)
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Our Railroads". Chesapeake & Delaware, LLC. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "Delaware and Raritan River Railroad, LLC-Lease and Operation Exemption-Consolidated Rail Corporation and New Jersey Transit Corporation". Surface Transportation Board. June 3, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
