NJ Transit Delays Explained

Last week, NJ Transit suffered a derailment on the Main/Bergen line because of a switch that was installed incorrectly. That defect was not discovered for more than a week - until after a commuter train derailed in that location.

Between the time that the switch was installed and the derailment, countless commuter trains and freight trains transversed the area. Some of those freight trains carry hazardous chemicals and could have resulted in a major hazardous materials incident had it been a freight train derailment instead of a passenger train.

Now, we learn that the majority of delays and cancellations on the Main/Bergen and Pascack Valley lines is the result of computer glitches in the new locomotives that were purchased and began running in 2005. NJ Transit wants to call this a break-in period and hopes that the situation can be resolved with software upgrades.

I'd call this a breakdown in communications and a failure to properly address deficiencies with the manufacturers. On time performance has slipped, as has the patience of many commuters, who are staring a 10% fare hike in the face this June. Service has gotten worse with the new trains, and with new equipment coming into the system on the Northeast corridor, one wonders what that will do to the entire system.

Why should we trust NJ Transit to be a good steward of the revenues raised from fares when they cannot oversee the basics of their system. They've botched the Secaucus Transfer project - a billion dollar boondoggle that continues to sit underutilized and cost several times more than first proposed. Taxpayers and commuters are footing the bill for debt financing that saddles the entire system. Other NJ Transit projects were similarly ill-conceived, including the Rt. 17 train station, which NJ Transit hoped would get commuters off Rt 17 and onto their trains, but has instead languished because few use the 1,000+ parking spots. At least there, NJ Transit has managed to get a car dealership to lease spots for their cars to pay off the costs for the parking garage. No such luck at Secaucus, which was built without a parking garage or amenities that might attract more consumers and commuters to use the station.

One can only hope that NJ Transit can fix the problems with the trains, because people will look at the system, the costs for fares, and rightfully believe that it is not only cheaper, but less aggrevating to drive into the City than take the train.