NJ Transit Will be Free for One Week, After Summer of Disruptions

NJ Transit train arrives into the station on March 9, 2016 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Thursday that the New Jersey Transit Corporation will offer free rides to all passengers from Aug. 26 to Sept. 2 as a show of appreciation for dealing with the recent service disruptions.

Fares on all modes of transportation in the state transit network will be waived during the one-week “transit fare holiday” period, according to his press release.

It stated that NJ Transit will also provide a 25 percent discount on September monthly passes to those who have already purchased August passes.

Murphy said that this initiative is meant to show appreciation for customers’ continued loyalty “during a time when transit service has not consistently met their expectations.”

The governor said that NJ Transit recognizes the impacts its service issues have had on riders over the past few months and is committed to improving its service.

“As we work diligently with Amtrak to investigate and address the issues that have occurred this summer, especially on the Northeast Corridor, we hope this fare holiday offers our commuters some relief,” he said.

“We also encourage New Jerseyans to take advantage of this opportunity, and we continue to be thankful to the many New Jerseyans who depend on public transit,” the governor added.

NJ Transit has been working with Amtrak, the national passenger railroad company, to improve service on the Northeast Corridor, where many of the recent service disruptions have occurred. The Northeast Corridor is the busiest corridor in the country.

The agencies have not yet identified the root causes of these disruptions. NJ Transit stated that it has taken “significant short-term actions” to address the issues, including increasing equipment inspections on platforms.

Amtrak has also ramped up its inspections and repairs of the catenary, track signal systems, and substations along the Northeast Corridor. NJ Transit said that these efforts have helped to reduce infrastructure-related incidents.

NJ Transit said the agencies are working to pursue additional grants to fund the replacement of catenary, substations, and transmission and signal lines.

Meanwhile, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) announced Monday a set of measures to address NJ Transit’s service disruptions caused by Amtrak-operated rails and infrastructure.

These measures include legislation that would guarantee refunds to customers impacted by cancellations and delays.

Gottheimer said that 657 NJ Transit trains were canceled in June, with 415 of those credited to Amtrak. NJ Transit reported that, without Amtrak-related incidents, 92.3 percent of its trains would run on time.

He urged Amtrak to immediately deploy the $6 billion in federal funds allocated by Congress for the maintenance of Northeast Corridor rail infrastructure. Gottheimer also requested a meeting with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to discuss the issues.