Is ACES Train Worth the Gamble?

I was recently provided with a complimentary ride from New York City down to Atlantic City on the ACES luxury express train. Operated under a partnership which includes Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Resort, NJ Transit and the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, ACES (which stands for Atlantic City Express Service) is definitely an excellent idea that could use just a little tweaking.

ACES only runs Friday through Sunday, with various departure times throughout the day between New York’s Penn Station, Newark’s Penn Station and of course Atlantic City. I chose the Saturday morning 9:16am out of Penn Station. It left right on time with plenty of seats to choose from.

I was given a first class ticket, which meant I was to sit upstairs in this double decker train. While the seats in first and coach are different in size, there is not that much of a difference. So if you are looking to save some cash for gambling later, go with the coach and you will be fine.

First class provides travelers with not only bigger seats, but a waiter as well. You are given a menu when the train first leaves the station and you are instructed by the waiter that he will come around, take your order and bring you the food. Sounds good right? Well it was a nice feature, but I could have easily have gotten up and ordered a cold turkey sandwich myself.

I think ACES has a good idea here, but the food was really nothing special. I have complained in the past about the lackluster Amtrak food options, well ACES is just a tad bit better.  In addition to the boring food I inhaled, the waiter only accepted credit or debit when it was time to pay my bill of $10. But cash tips were acceptable.

The ride down to Atlantic City was very enjoyable. I actually told the person traveling with me that I could see myself taking this train ride again. My first class seat was big, comfy and reclined back pretty far. I was actually able to get some rest before emptying my wallet to the slots and roulette tables at the various casinos in Jersey.

The prices in my opinion are a little on the high side. To ride the rail each way will put you back $29-$39 for coach and $49-$59 for first class. ACES does offer a special $39 round-trip fare, but you must travel the same weekend and originate from Atlantic City.

That is a pretty hefty amount to fork over before you even get to gambling. Hopefully the people at ACES will soon realize that if they lower fares or provide riders with incentives like “buy four rides – get one free”, they might possibly generate continuous traffic throughout the slow winter season.

It was just announced last week that ACES plans to cut service from the current 18-run weekend schedule to 11 due to an expected decline in passenger traffic during the colder months.  While I liked my experience on the ACES Train, until I see an upgrade on the menu to reflect an actual “first-class” feel and a fare adjustment that is more competitive with driving yourself or taking the bus, I will probably only use the service when I am feeling lucky.

To take the gamble and ride in style, check out ACES Train.