Lawmakers launch investigation in NJ Transit's 'failures'

NEW JERSEY - Lawmakers in New Jersey are launching an investigation into the state's beleaguered transit system.

Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney said in a statement Tuesday he's setting up a committee to probe the agency over "continued failures and to develop an action plan to turn around the embattled agency."
 
Messages seeking comment from the agency and Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who is responsible for NJ Transit, were left. 

Rail riders have endured frequent train cancellations dating back to last year, when the agency was scrambling to meet a year-end deadline for installing positive train control, a federally mandated emergency braking system.

The cancellations have continued this year.

Much of the blame lies in an engineer shortage, which officials have blamed on years of under-investment in engineer training by former Republican Gov. Chris Christie.