ACES Train

ACES train was a great trip to Atlantic City. Seats were roomie and comfy.

I definitely would agree with some other reviews and say that it absolutely is a «BRO» train however there is no cleaner and safer way to get to AC from NYC than this train.
It stinks that it doesn’t run year around and that the last train out on Sunday is 2pm which is pretty early for a summer Sunday but either or it definitely beats taking a Greyhound bus which is disgusting and filled with very sketchy people.
I would say bring headphones in case you sit near a bunch of drunk bros that can’t handle their liquor but besides that if you book early and find a semi-​quiet car it’s a great way to travel.
Skip first class– it’s not worth the extra money.

It’s really a shame that the train doesn’t have a later return trip on Sunday. And since the service is only seasonal, I guess it’s back to driving or taking the 319 NJ transit bus in the winter. The 319 is usually much less creepy than Greyhound and Academy. Why doesn’t the State of NJ realize that subsidizing the train to Atlantic City from New York on a consistent basis is essential to attracting tourist and convention business to the city. Short sighted IMO. Also, it would give the train an opportunity to see ridership increases. Furthermore, the tracks should be upgraded so that southbound trains do not need to turn around in North Philadelphia to enter the Atlantic City line. The train should also stop in Trenton to pick up riders from Central Jersey. But the main problem is the lack of departure and arrival times. Poor scheduling is the the primary reason I can’t rely upon ACES to get me to and from Atlantic City.

More like the BROS Train, but hey — Bros gotta get to Atlantic City too.
While more expensive than the bus, ACES was clean, timely and comfortable.
Some asshole* rendered our bathroom inoperable within the first 30 minutes, but there were facilities to use on other cars if needed.**
No outside drinks are permitted, but about 100% of the people around us were rocking their own road-​sodas, so please plan accordingly.
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
* Yeah, it was me.
** They were.

Gotta agree with Nicole, once you take this, you never go back to the bus. When you get off the bus, you feel as though you need to immediately take a shower. Not so with ACES.
One of the great things not already mentioned is that it’s a great way to go down with friends. The train is pretty chill in the sense that there’s usually a bunch of people standing in the aisles and hanging out. Usually not the case on the way home (mainly because everyone is too hungover/​tired/​still drunk from the previous night), but it definitely adds to the experience on the way down.
Food/​drinks are a little overpriced, but so is everything else in AC. Yeah, it’s more than the bus, but at this point you would have to pay me to ride the bus back. If you have a little extra spending money, there is no better way to get to AC and back than ACES.

If you want to gamble BEFORE you get to AC…
Take the ACES train. Going to AC, no real complaints. The train was stopped on the tracks (due to train traffic I assume) a few times, and when the train stopped for the engineer to switch sides we waited about 20min. We got there about 5−10min late.
However, on the ride home WOW! Apparently the ACES train that was supposed to be used going back had brake issues (how does a ‘brand new’ train have brake issues?). Soooo we had a regular NJT train. And I don’t mean a new one. I mean one of the old school ones with vomit and dirt in the aisles. Pretty sweet. Now trying to get a refund from Amtrak (who tried to pass the buck to NJT saying they don’t operate the train so they are not responsible — they took my $$$ though!).
So to sum up, yeah I guess it’s better than sitting in traffic but I have made it down to AC in 2hrs and it’s not that cheap if you and your girlfriend are going down for a quick w/​e trip (total $ 140).
I give it 4stars going down, 0 stars coming back… and avg it out.

I have absolutely no idea why anyone would ever take any other method of public transportation to Atlantic City. Seriously.
Immaculate.
Amazing.
Bar Car.
Bathrooms cleaner than my own apartment’s bathroom.
(Too much info?)
We took the bus home with the plebians and it was like the scene from The Little Mermaid where the little worm-​type-​sea-​creatures are trying to get free and grabbing at you. Only they weren’t sea creatures that Ursula created from mermaids… they were homeless/​prostitute/​drug addicts Atlantic City seedy types.
This did not occur on the ACES train. I felt I did not need an STD test after riding this train. Take the train. Avoid the bus.

Once again the best way to get to AC and a pleasure.
I just didn’t know what you weren’t allowed to bring a beer onboard and I had to chug a tall boy in like 2 mins or forfeit it.
Also just wish the boarding process at the AC terminal was a little more organized.

First of all, Colin W. offers a great summary of the ACES service, check out his review for an overview of the ACES train.
I took my inaugural ACES trip recently, after many months of taking the NJ Transit bus services from Newark/​New York to Atlantic City, one-​way ticket costing about $ 28. For just a few dollars more, you can take ACES and end your concerns about Garden State Parkway traffic, in addition to a wide variety of booze, non-​booze and snacks. Comfortable seats and friendly staff. My main recommendation would be to increase luggage space!
Will definitely be using the ACES train again!

I won my tickets, but all summer (and at the time of this writing, September 12, 2009), a coach fare (one way) is $ 29, so a round trip is just under sixty bucks, which is an absolute steal considering that a round trip requiring you to take NJ Transit, SEPTA, and NJ Transit again would cost only about $ 7 less and require much more time.
My trip started with a hiccup. Due to mechanical problems they couldn’t get the ACES set into NY Penn in time, so we got herded into the front car of a Long Branch train and then switched at Newark Penn.
Once you depart Newark Penn, the ride is QUICK. The only other stop is when the train gets to Frankford Junction just outside of Philadelphia. Then there’s a 10 minute wait while the engineer changes ends from electric to diesel, and you’re off again. We got held up for about 15 minutes outside of the curve at Absecon, but these things happen on a single-​tracked railroad, and for the most part the trip was smooth and quick. All together it took just under 3 hours, and that’s including the two hiccups.
The railcars are standard NJ Transit multilevel cars, with a few special additions. The coach seats are wide and comfortable, similar to what you’d find in an Amtrak Amfleet. The bright white commuter train lights have been tinted a soft blue, which definitely improves lighting in the car.
The on-​board food and drink selection is mediocre at best, but it’s about what you’d expect. The beer is overpriced and the selection is rather pitiful (Budweiser, Michelob Ultra, Amstel Light, Heineken, and O’Doul’s [which doesn’t even count as beer]). There’s a selection of mostly-​decent salads and sandwiches which run in the $ 7 to $ 8 range, and pretzels, chips, and nuts for $ 2 to $ 2.50 per (small) package.
There’s also a private lounge with entertainment system (powered by an Apple TV) and karaōke system, which you can rent out between $ 200 and $ 300, depending on when you travel. The lounge also has private food and drink service. If I lived in NY and were going to AC with a group of people for a weekend (bachelor party, birthday weekend, etc), then renting the lounge for the trip down would probably be a fun way to start the weekend.
When you arrive in AC, there are large motor coaches waiting to take you to the partner casinos — Borgata, Caesar’s, and Harrah’s. It’s a nice touch, since the alternative would be the lovely Atlantic City Jitney service.
Overall, the ACES train is a good, quick, reasonably-​priced experience to get from New York to Atlantic City.
The addition of a boarding-​only stop elsewhere along the Northeast Corridor (perhaps Hamilton, Trenton, or Cornwells Heights) or one stop on the Atlantic City Line at Cherry Hill could benefit the service for those who would like to use it from somewhere besides NYC. They could also stand to add NYC-​bound Monday trains following a holiday weekend such as Memorial Day or Labor Day.