NJ Transit says excessive heat is causing equipment issues. Service could be impacted for days.
SECAUCUS, N.J. -- NJ Transit says this week's excessive heat is causing equipment issues, and riders should expect delays and cancellations for days.
Dozens of trains will not operate or will be combined with other trains Thursday and Friday, and some will make additional stops.
NJ Transit officials say to minimize the impact on customers, trains were strategically selected across multiple lines at different times of day to ensure no one line is disproportionately affected.
Every line, except for Atlantic City, is impacted for the Thursday morning commute, with about 40 affected trains.
The Northeast Corridor line is the most heavily impacted. Click here for complete schedule details.
NJ Transit blames excessive heat for equipment issues
NJ Transit posted on social media early Wednesday morning, saying the scorching temperatures may impact travel for 48 to 72 hours.
"Customers may experience delays and it may be necessary to cancel or combine trips," the agency posted.
Trains were delayed on nine different lines Wednesday morning, and at least four lines had cancelations for the evening rush.
Officials said the heat has been causing issues for electronic components, and some trains had to be taken out of service due to broken air conditioning units.
Maintenance crews are working around the clock to make repairs and restore the affected equipment.
CBS New York requested an interview with NJ Transit on Wednesday, but was told they had no one available. One NJ Transit board member said the issues will be addressed at a board meeting on July 24.
Another blow for NJ Transit riders
CBS New York spoke with commuters Wednesday morning who said they were frustrated, but not surprised, by the latest service impacts.
Riders also noted the delays come on the heels of the recent 15% fare hike.
"You expect, if they're going to raise the price, that the service be reliable," John Glowacki said.
"While fares go up, and I certainly understand labor costs and that type of thing, the investment doesn't seem to be there, and they just seems to kick the can down the road and defer things, rather than address the problems," Jay Yarnell added.
Linden resident Richard Roman has been relying on NJ Transit for more than three decades. He was pleased to see his afternoon train was running on time after a messy morning commute.
"It was late, then they kicked us off in Newark, caught another train to come into the city," he said. "The last three, four weeks have been really bad, worse than it's ever been."
Orange resident Rick Gray said his commute was hot and packed, and he got home later than usual Tuesday night, but he's not surprised.
"There was a cancellation on the train where they had to put us on another train, combine both trains," he said. "It's been the same issue, different reasons, for the last three weeks."
Last month, Gov. Phil Murphy joined NJ Transit and Amtrak as they announced steps to address the ongoing issues and expedite investigations.
