In a state better known (to outsiders, anyway) for highways and shore traffic, the Woodstown Central Railroad offers something refreshingly unhurried: a heritage rail experience rolling through the open farm country of Salem County, New Jersey, on a line whose roots reach back to the mid-19th century. The railroad’s excursions trade congestion for quiet trestles, wooded edges, and small-town scenery—then, on select dates, pair that scenery with one of South Jersey’s most enjoyable grown-up itineraries: the Brew to Brew Train, a rail-based brewery crawl that connects two local taprooms without anyone needing to drive.
What makes Woodstown Central stand out is how quickly it establishes a sense of place. This is not a “train ride in a park.” It’s a working piece of New Jersey railroad geography—an excursion division created to highlight the character of the historic Salem Branch and introduce riders to a part of the state that feels worlds away from the Turnpike.
A Quick Look At The Railroad
Woodstown Central Railroad operates as a passenger-excursion arm of SMS Rail Lines, bringing historic passenger equipment and classic motive power to a corridor that traces its lineage to Salem County’s first railroad line, dating to 1863. That “first railroad line” detail matters: it’s the reason the ride feels grounded in real transportation history rather than purely staged nostalgia.
Most trains depart from South Woodstown Station, located at 650 Alloway-Woodstown Road, Woodstown, NJ—a practical home base with easy access for visitors coming from Philadelphia and the surrounding region…