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PRSL Timetables (September, 1937)

Published: February 29, 2024

By: Adam Burns

Presented below is the PRSL's public timetables from September, 1937, just a few years after the system was officially created by its parent companies.

The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL) was a prominent railroad conglomerate operating in southern New Jersey between 1933 and 1976. Having formed as a joint venture between the Pennsylvania (PRR) and the Reading (RDG) Railroads, it inherited a merger of several small regional lines, including the Atlantic City Railroad and the Wildwood & Southern Railroad.

These previously independent lines offered a broad rail network across New Jersey's southern peninsula, servicing majority of its seaside towns.
PRSL was renowned for its commuter and freight services as well as its seasonal tourist traffic to the New Jersey shore, thriving particularly in the pre-Interstate Highway era. The Line's most well-known route was Camden to Atlantic City, providing vital express service to these bustling cities.

By the 1950s, despite innovations like dieselized PRSL trains, competition from cars and buses led to declining passenger revenues. The line attempted to sustain its freight operations, but financial constraints resulted in the discontinuation of many services.

Post the nationwide railroad restructuring in 1976, PRSL was absorbed into Conrail. While most of its passenger routes have been discontinued, some segments remain, having been adopted by New Jersey Transit for commuter rail operations. Today, PRSL is remembered for its significant role in shaping transportation in southern New Jersey, its enduring legacy in American railroad history.

Public Timetables (September, 1937)