NJ lawmaker calls for riders to get refunds for Amtrak, NJ Transit delays
NJ Transit hall in Penn Station. Photo by Chris Rycroft on Flickr.
A New Jersey official wants Amtrak and NJ Transit to refund riders when their travel plans are delayed or canceled. NJ Rep. Josh Gottheimer on Monday introduced the All Aboard Act, which includes a “Rail Passenger Bill of Rights” that guarantees refunds to riders experiencing transit disruptions, as reported by Gothamist. If passed, the legislation would require the rail company to invest in improving maintenance issues and service times. In the meantime, Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday announced NJ Transit trains and buses will be free for one week at the end of August to thank commuters for putting up with a summer of service problems.
Commuter rail service across the tri-state area has had a rough couple of months, with numerous service disruptions stranding thousands of riders. In June, NJ Transit and Amtrak service was disrupted three times in one week when a disabled train at Penn Station caused NJ Transit to suspend service, leading to Amtrak delays.
Power outages and overhead wire issues led to delays and suspended service on Amtrak for hours.
The most recent incident occurred on July 22, when a broken track caused an hours-long suspension of service between New Haven, Connecticut, and New York City, as reported by Gothamist.
According to a press release from Gottheimer’s office, 657 NJ Transit trains were canceled in June, 415 of which can be credited to Amtrak problems. Without Amtrak-related incidents, 92.3 percent of NJ Transit trains would run on time.
“These delays and cancellations are a headache for commuters, a real obstacle for our transit system, and frankly, a drain on our entire state. I hear from my constituents every day that something has got to give,” Gottheimer said.
“To help get our trains back on track, and help stop the misery for commuters and families, I’m announcing new action to help reduce the NJ Transit delays. For the sake of Jersey and our entire region, it’s time to start solving problems.”
Much of the travel disruption has been attributed to the summer heat and record-high temperatures. The recurrence of extreme heat events has led elected officials, urban planners, and climate experts to push transportation agencies to account for a warmer future and its impact on public transit.
Gottheimer has also demanded that the rail company use $6 billion in federal funds allocated by Congress for maintenance of the service’s Northeast Corridor. The congressmember plans to meet with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to advocate for his proposal.
After a summer of delays and cancellations, Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday announced all NJ Transit trains and buses will be free from August 26 through September 2 as a “thank you” to customers for putting up with subpar service. The governor said the transit agency is working with Amtral to improve service on the Northeast Corridor, the country’s busiest.
“Understanding that our commuters have faced many disruptions this summer, we are providing a one week fare holiday for NJ Transit riders,” Murphy said.
“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.”
According to Murphy, NJ Transit workers have increased equipment inspections on platforms, as Amtrak improves its efforts in inspecting and repairing overhead wires, track signaling systems, and substations along the Northeast Corridor, resulting in fewer incidents.
Additional efforts to ensure Amtrak’s infrastructure remains in a state of good repair include increased testing of transformers and identifying optimal work windows to implement service adjustments and accelerate repairs and upgrades.
The free week comes a little over a month after NJ Transit raised fares by 15 percent, marking the agency’s first hike in nine years, along with a 3 percent increase scheduled annually in the coming years, as 6sqft previously reported. The fare hike, approved during an April board meeting, is one of the policies designed to help NJ Transit close its $106 million budget gap, according to North Jersey.com.
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