19-05-2025
NJ Transit strike over but trains not running until tomorrow
NJ Transit and the union representing engineers reached a tentative agreement Sunday to end their strike, but trains are still not running Monday.
Officials say rail service will resume Tuesday morning. In the meantime, the agency's contingency plan increased bus service into New York City, but commuters are encouraged to work from home, if possible.
NJ Transit rail service to resume Tuesday
Some commuters took advantage of the four satellite Park-and-Ride locations set up to catch buses into Manhattan.
NJ Transit personnel were on hand to help at the site outside the Woodbridge Center Mall.
The buses left every three minutes during the morning rush, and few had commuters on them. Either people were heeding the warnings to work from home, or getting into the city another way.
"I woke up earlier, because I was anticipating everybody was going to swarm this area, because the train station is always packed, and I figure trains can take a lot more people," commuter Anthony Hein, of Colonia, said. "So I would've liked that extra sleep."
Some commuters said they were feeling the stress the past several days.
"Definitely it's been inconvenient," said New Jersey resident Ronit Modi. "Also the bus service is only to Harrison, so if you have a monthly pass, it's an additional expense."
Officials say trains aren't running Monday because the process of moving them from the yard for inspection takes at least 24 hours.
What we know about the NJ Transit strike settlement
As for the details of the tentative deal, both sides remain tight-lipped. Government sources tell CBS News New York the agreement will not raise fares, at least for now.
Both NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) say they are happy with it, and union members will vote on it in about a month. Sources say it involved the union making concessions on work rules and the agency on benefits.
"I would like to think that this is an agreement that is worthy of ratification, and that the membership will vote to ratify it," BLET General Chairman Tom Haas said.
"We were able to find a solution that meets the needs of the customers and our employees and, more importantly than all of it, the taxpayers of New Jersey," said NJ Transit President & CEO Kris Kolluri. "The deal itself reflects a series of concessions that came together by way of a work rule that will eventually end up paying for this fair wage that the unions have asked for."
As to whether there will be any issue ratifying the agreement, sources familiar with the talks say it appears members will vote for it.
