New Atlantic City Express Service

On February 6th the Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) carried its first passengers from the big Apple to the New Jersey gambling Mecca.

The train operates Fridays through Sundays. A one way ride takes approximately 2 hours 45 minutes and introductory fares start at $39 each way for coach and $64 for first class. The new service spares its customers dealing with traffic and the notoriously egregious New Jersey Turnpike.

Each train features four double-decker cars with a bar at the end of each car that serves beer, wine and liquor, in addition to sandwiches and snacks. The upper levels of the cars, for first-class customers, feature waitress service. Both levels boast leather seats that are wider and have more leg room than conventional train cars.

The Atlantic City Express Service was financed by the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, Caesars Atlantic City and Harrah's Resort Atlantic City and is operated by New Jersey Transit. The casinos spent $19.5 million for this project. Consulting and marketing costs pushed the total to nearly $25 million.

Cuts are being made everywhere, from state assemblies to family budgets, making it a strange time to develop a high-priced train service. However, plans for the line were established three years ago.
"By the nature of our business, we've got to continuously reinvent ourselves, whether it's a good economy or a bad economy," said Joe Domenico, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Bally's Atlantic City. "You have to think about where the revenues of tomorrow are coming from."