There was a point where the delaware ave el was around at the same time as the Frankford el. It operated as a branch up until just after the Ben Franklin Bridge was built, and the ferries became less useful. The ferries still allowed for a direct connection to the Pennsylvania-Reading sea shore lines from old city, which was a passanger train service that operated out of a Camden water front terminal to the shore. I think they went to cape may, wild wood, ocean city, Atlantic city, and made stops all throughout south jersey. Imagine something like the terminal in jersey city that allows you to take a ferry to New York.