NJ Transit locomotive engineers decided to call it quits just after midnight on Friday, stopping a service that approximately 350,000 commuters rely on. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union and NJ Transit representatives had been in talks until Thursday evening, hoping to avoid a strike, but unfortunately, they couldn’t come to an agreement. So, at 12:01 a.m., the union went on strike, leading to the suspension of all rail services for NJ Transit.
The impact of the strike was felt almost immediately, as NJ Transit service was halted before the Friday morning commute and any weekend travel. While trains that were already in transit were allowed to complete their trips, all trains scheduled to depart after midnight were canceled. This strike is expected to affect at least 100,000 passengers, putting a stop to NJ Transit rail service and Metro-North service west of Hudson.
For days leading up to the strike, NJ Transit had been advising commuters to work from home if possible and to limit their travel to essential purposes only. Despite the strike, NJ Transit buses are still running, but passengers can expect more crowded conditions than usual. The agency plans to add more buses to various routes starting Monday morning to accommodate the increase in commuters looking for alternative transportation options.
