NJ Transit railway closed after locomotive engineers vote to strike, impacting 350k customers

The NJ Transit railway shut down at midnight on Friday after more than 450 locomotive engineers voted to strike after failing to agree on wages.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) agreed to strike at 12:01 a.m. Friday after not reaching a deal with NJ Transit. The BLET is the only rail union out of 15 to not sign an initial pattern bargaining agreement, according to Gov. Phil Murphy.

A tentative agreement was reached on March 10, and was described as "fair and responsible" at the time by BLET leadership, but the wage contract was not finalized.

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"I have always said that any deal we reach would have to be fair to our engineers and fiscally responsible without burdening our riders or the taxpayers of New Jersey," said NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri. "While we, unfortunately, were unable to finalize a deal Thursday night, I am committed, as I have been since my first day on the job in January, to remaining at the bargaining table for as long as it takes to get an agreement finalized. We have an obligation to the hundreds of thousands of NJ Transit customers to work around-the-clock until a deal is reached and rail service can resume for all those who rely on it every day."

The strike prompted a "safe shutdown" of NJ Transit, which is the third-largest system of its kind in the country. Trains en route past midnight were able to finish their trips, but no new trips began after 12:01 a.m. 

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Murphy said an estimated 350,000 customers will be affected by the strike and encouraged employers to allow remote work for the time being so that available transportation systems aren't overwhelmed.

"My message tonight to our locomotive engineers is this: the path to a new contract will be paved at the negotiating table, not the picket line," Murphy said. "Ultimately, it is the people of New Jersey who will suffer because of this strike. I am calling on our locomotive engineers to remain at the negotiating table to reach a fair and affordable deal so we can get the trains moving again as soon as possible and avoid raising costs on riders and taxpayers."

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A contingency bus service will also be ready to operate on Monday to "support essential service," Murphy said, but the bus system can only serve approximately 20% of current rail customers.

"The capacity of the bus system cannot replace the railroad," Murphy said, in part. "This contingency plan includes enhancing select existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and contracting with private carriers to operate bus service from four regional Park & Ride locations across the state during weekday peak periods."

Murphy is expected to address the strike at Aberdeen-Matawan Train Station at 10 a.m. on Friday.