by Denis Connell and Carl Perelman/photos as noted
Chesapeake & Delaware’s Delaware & Raritan River Railroad (D&RR) has completed Farmingdale & Southern (F&S) Connection, along with a five mile track rehabilitation of the dormant former Pennsylvania Railroad Freehold Branch between Freehold and Farmingdale, through Howell, New Jersey. Contractors Railroad Construction of Paterson, and Tracks Unlimited of Mountainside, New Jersey, completed the project nine months ahead of schedule. On September 15, 2023, the railroad ran a test train over the rebuilt trackage, marking the first train to run through between Freehold and Farmingdale since 1985.
The project commenced in January 2023 and included vegetation clearing, six upgraded grade crossings, 25,000 track-feet of relayed rail, and 12,500 new crossties, over 8,000 of which are made of environmentally sustainable steel. The $12 million project was funded in large part by the New Jersey Department of Transportation Rail Freight Assistance Program, and state grade crossing improvement funds.
The F&S Connection links the former Freehold Branch (now known has the Freehold Industrial Track) with the Southern Secondary, enabling a more efficient railroad network. It provides a shorter and faster route for rail customers in Monmouth and Ocean counties…