NJ Transit rail service resumes after night of chaos and confusion
NEW YORK -- NJ Transit rail service resumed Saturday morning after being suspended Friday due to a staffing shortage.
Tempers flared on platforms when passengers, already frustrated by delays and cancellations throughout the day, learned service was abruptly shut down.
NJ Transit pointed the finger at a union dispute, but passengers felt they were the ones left to deal with the mess, CBS2's Christina Fan reported.
Riders made a mad dash down to catch the last train out of New York Penn Station on Friday after NJ Transit abruptly canceled all rail service after 8:05 p.m., a move that blindsided commuters and left them stranded throughout the system.
NJ TRANSIT expects engineers to report for their work assignments as scheduled on Saturday, 6/18, and we anticipate resuming service on a regular weekend schedule for the start of the service day. Visit https://t.co/gxIeju2k8v for more info. pic.twitter.com/WdFHDL97HD
— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) June 18, 2022
"I live in Jersey and I work in the city. This is frustrating for the last minute and nobody to tell us anything. Everybody is going crazy and they don't know what' going on. It's just really not fair," said Trina Holden from East Orange.
Those who missed the last trains had few option. Michelle Sparrow tried to get an Uber in Secaucus.
"As soon as I got in the Uber, the driver told me he can't go to New York. So now I'm just waiting for another one," said Sparrow, who lives in Pearl River, New York.
The problems started during the Friday morning rush when dozens of trains were canceled because of an engineer shortage.
NJ Transit said the union representing those workers took an illegal job action. CBS2 learned the number of engineers who called out sick Friday was nearly triple the weekday average.
NJ Transit officials admitted to hearing rumors about it late Thursday, but it's unclear what - if anything - they did to prepare.
"I waited like five trains and they were all canceled," said Yesi Mendez, a New York City resident.
"I'm ashamed of NJ Transit. I'm ashamed of the governor and the way they've handled this. I'm sorry, NJ Transit passengers pay a lot of money for their monthly tickets and weekly tickets, and they deserve better than this," said Charlton D'Souza of Passengers United.
NJ Transit sources said there is a disagreement with the union involving Juneteenth. A collective bargaining agreement being negotiated includes observance of the holiday, while the current agreement does not.
The transit agency said it is "exploring all legal remedies to this illegal and irresponsible action."
NJ Transit expected all engineers to report to work on Saturday, but there may be residual delays and cancellations.