South Jersey Timeline of Historic Events
May 15, 1897: PRR completes construction on the Bridge Line between West Haddonfield and Delair, and the Delair Bridge.
September 24, 1927: PRR abandons the Vincentown Branch between Ewansville (Mt. Holly-Pemberton Rd) and Vincentown.
September 24, 1927: Medford Branch between Haddonfield and Medford abandoned.
April 28, 1928: Last passenger train between Alloway Junction and Quinton on the Quinton Branch.
September 26, 1931: Electrified service between Newfield and Atlantic City terminated.
1934: Service to Sea Isle City and Ocean City via Sea Isle Junction (Petersburg) terminated.
1934: Williamstown Branch between Williamstown Junction (Clementon Branch) and Williamstown abandoned.
July 18, 1934: Last train over 7th street trackage in Camden City. Van Hook Street cutoff opens.
1941: Last passenger train on Grenloch Branch.
Febuary 26, 1949: Last mail train runs over WJ&S between Millville, Woodbine, Cape May Courthouse, and Cape May. WJ&S branch abandoned.
June 20, 1949: Electric commuter service between Glassboro and Millville abandoned. Diesel or steam commuter trains take over.
September 24, 1949: Electric commuter service between Camden and Glassboro abandoned. Diesel or steam commuter trains take over.
1950: The Mullica Hill Branch between Glassboro and Mullica Hill is abandoned.
July 8, 1950: Passenger service on the Penns Grove branch ends, gas powered motor car.
December 30, 1950: Passenger service on the Salem Branch ends, gas powered motor car.
July 12, 1952: Last passenger train on the Bridgeton Branch between Glassboro and Bridgeton via COHAN.
January 4, 1953: Last train to run between Camden Terminal and Broadway Terminal in Camden.
September 17, 1953: Maurice River Branch (Leesburg Secondary) abandoned between Heislerville and Maurice River.
1954: Last Steam-Powered Passenger train to Atlantic City.
January 1, 1954: Discontinuance of all service to Stone Harbor (Lumberyard last served).
1955: PRSL purchases land in Magnolia, NJ for holding of materials to build NJ turnpike. Will eventually become Owens Corning Fiberglass plant.
1957: End of passenger service on the CNJ Southern Division between Red Bank, Lakehurst, Winslow, and Bridgeton.
April 27, 1958: Last Passenger Train to Wildwood Crest and Cold Spring Harbor.
September 11, 1958: Ocean City Branch 4th Street to 10th Street abandoned. 10 grade crossings eliminated.
September 30, 1958: Wildwood Branch abandoned from Oak Avenue to Wildwood Crest and Cold Spring Harbor (ROW is now New Jersey Avenue).
April 28, 1961: Last local commuter train between Clementon and Hammonton on the Clementon Branch (Now Beesley's Secondary).
August 29, 1961: The PRR's "Nelly Bly", the final New York to Atlantic City direct train, is annulled.
1962: Beesley's Point Generating Plant opens, coal and oil trains begin moving over Clementon Branch.
December 5, 1962: Last train on the Garden State Racetrack spur.
May, 1963: Last commuter train on the Bordentown Branch between Camden and Trenton.
1965: Bellmawr Industrial Park opens for business along the Grenloch Branch.
July 16, 1965: Last local commuter train between Camden and Clementon on the Clementon Branch (Now Beesley's Secondary).
January 14, 1966: Last train over the "main line" between CENTER tower and West Haddonfield, as result of PATCO construction.
September 30, 1966: Last train between Broadway Terminal in Camden and CENTER tower, as result of PATCO construction.
June 25, 1967: Iron Horse Enterprises runs a steam excursion over the CNJ Southern Division between Elizabethport and Bridgeton behind a 4-6-2.
October 7, 1967: Last train runs on the Atlantic City Racetrack spur between GATE and TURF.
May 5, 1968: Steamtown locomotive CP 127 leads an excursion to Cape May City and back.
1969: Williamstown Branch between Glassboro and Williamstown abandoned. A short segment remained between the Millville Branch and Delsea Dr. to serve an ice factory there.
January 4, 1969: PATCO High Speed Line begins operation.
April 25, 1969: End of passenger service on the Pemberton Branch between Camden and Pemberton.
July, 1969: Leesburg Secondary between Dorchester and Leesburg abandoned.
October 1, 1969: Service over Bridge Line between Lindenwold and the Delair Bridge abandoned, passengers change to the PATCO High Speed Line at Lindenwold. Millville service begins operating from a temporary station at 12th Street Camden.
Feb 5, 1971: Last local commuter train to Millville.
December 29, 1972: Last Operation of Wildwood Branch to Oak Avenue for passenger service.
November 26, 1973: Track from 2,380 ft. south of Station Ave (Glendora) to Grenloch abandoned.
1974: Track removed on the Atlantic City Racetrack spur between GATE and TURF.
June 6, 1974: Last freight train on the Wildwood Branch. Wildwood Branch between Wildwood Junction and Oak Avenue embargoed.
August 29, 1975: Switch to Bellmawr Steel and Supply Corp on the Grenloch Branch out of service (Later became Fisher Steel Co, Browning Rd).
October 1, 1975: Petty's Island Branch abandoned between the trestle and Petty's Island. All trackage on the island abandoned.
April 1, 1976: Wildwood Branch officially abandoned (NOT included in Final System Plan for CR).
September 8-10, 1976: American Freedom Train visits Atlantic City.
1977: Tracks removed from Wildwood Branch between Wildwood Jnct. and Oak Avenue.
March 31, 1977: Last operation of the UTRR between Imlaystown and New Egypt. Pulled empties from Arico, Agway in New Egypt. UTRR abandoned.
July, 1978: Lucaston Paintworks closes at Lucaston, the last train runs on the Lucaston branch.
August 3, 1978: Last revenue freight train over the Conrail Southern Secondary (CNJ Southern Div) between Winslow and Lakehurst.
September 1, 1978: Ashland Railway purchases Southern Secondary (CNJ Southern Div) between Lakehurst and Woodmansie to serve sand plant.
September 16, 1978: New Jersey Transit takes over passenger operations of the PRSL and CR.
October, 1978: NJ-DOT aquires ownership of the following segments of track:
The Millville Branch between Pitman and Glassboro.
The Pemberton Branch between Pavonia and Mt. Laurel.
The Atlantic City Line between Lindenwold and Lucaston.
The Lucaston Branch between the Atlantic City Line and the Lucaston Paint Works Complex.
The Atlantic City Industrial Track in the area of Winslow.
The Cape May Branch between Winslow and Cape May City.
The Cape May Point Branch between Cape May and Cape May Point.
1979: Ex-PRR between Pavonia and West Merchantville abandoned.
April - June, 1979: Tracks removed between New Egypt and Fort Dix.
October 5, 1981: Last Passenger Train to Cape May City (Due to poor track conditions).
October 15, 1981: Last train to operate on the Ocean City Branch, termination of service due to a Ring Gear failure on the Crook Horn Bridge.
October 30, 1981: Freight service ends to Fort Dix. Last deliveries were coal to the power plant, which stopped burning coal in 1981.
June 30, 1982: Passenger service to Atlantic City ends (poor track conditions, speed restrictions of 15MPH in some sections).
October, 1982: Official Abandonment notices placed at 51st, 24th, 10th street stations in Ocean City. Ocean City Branch abandoned.
April 11, 1983: Grenloch Branch between Bellmawr and Glendora abandoned.
1983: Last train to operate to Northwest Magnesite, Cape May Point Branch.
1983: Shore Fast Line begins operation of freight to Pleasantville, Linwood, and Vineland from a base at Hammonton on the Atlantic City Line.
June 10, 1983: Last local freight train on the Cape May Branch. All Conrail service on Cape May Branch terminates on this date.
January, 1984: Track removed between Mt. Holly and Pemberton on the Pemberton Branch.
January - June, 1984: Track removed from Pemberton to Fort Dix on the Pemberton Branch.
1985: Reading-style signals removed from service on the Clementon Branch and Cape May Branch. The whole removal operation took about 1 week.
1986: Conrail rebuilds the Grenloch Branch between Gloucester City and Bellmawr.
October 1, 1986: Conrail sells the Maurice River Branch to Dorchester as well as trackage from Millville to Manumuskin and the Winslow Industrial Track (ex-CNJ Southern Division) from Norma to Bridgeton to Winchester and Western.
1987: Winslow becomes the base of operations for the Shore Fast Line.
September 1988: Salem County purchases the Salem Branch between Swedesboro and Salem, operated by the West Jersey Railroad, and later SRNJ.
1989: Due to poor track conditions, the Ashland Railway terminates service to the sand plant at Woodmansie on the ex-CNJ Southern Division.
May 23, 1989: Amtrak re-opens the Atlantic City Line for express service to Atlantic City.
September 17, 1989: NJT begins offering local service on the Atlantic City Line between Philadelphia and Atlantic City.
July 20, 1990: Shore Fast Line begins operating to Tri-County Building Supply, Cape May Courthouse on the Cape May Branch.
August, 1991: Tuckahoe freight station demolished.
October, 1991: Cape May Seashore Lines moves it's equipment from Woodstown to Rio Grande behind 2 RS3m's.
December, 1991: Southern Railroad of NJ purchases freight operating rights for the Cape May Branch, Vineland Industrial Track, Linwood Branch and Atlantic City Line from the Shore Fast Line.
November, 1992: NJDOT removes the Crook Horn Bridge in Ocean City in order to widen the channel for boat traffic.
December 4, 1992: Last SRNJ revenue move to Dee Lumber, on the Linwood Branch.
1993: Winchester and Western ends service on the Maurice River Branch to Leesburg State Prison (flour delivery), line out of service.
June 1, 1994: Shortline Marketing Services (SMS) begins operation of 4.5 miles of track in the Pureland Industrial Park, Bridgeport NJ.
1995: Shore Fast Line terminates operations on the Cape May Branch to Cape May Courthouse, line re-abandoned.
January, 1995: Conrail commences rebuilding of the Vineland Secondary and Millville Industrial Track between Woodbury and Millville.
January, 1995: Furman Lumber in Merchantville closes, the West Merchantville Industrial Track between the Atlantic City Line and West Merchantville is abandoned.
April 2, 1995: Amtrak backs out of it's Atlantic City Line "gambler's express" service.
April 2, 1995: NJ Transit makes it's first trip over the Delair Bridge as sole provider of passenger service on the Atlantic City Line.
May, 1996: Cape May Seashore Lines begins passenger operations between Cape May Courthouse and Cold Spring Village on the Cape May Branch.
May 31, 1999: Conrail split between Norfolk Southern and CSX - last day for operation of Conrail as an independent railroad company.
June 1, 1999: Conrail Shared Assets Operation (CSAO) begins operation as a terminal railroad providing local service to North Jersey, South Jersey, and Detroit.
The above list courtesy MD/TD,SJRA/SJRAIL.COM