NJ Transit officials grilled in Trenton

TRENTON (FOX5NY) - Wednesday in Trenton, New Jersey, senators and assembly members held a joint hearing to grill transit officials, assess the progress of Penn Station repairs and review NJ Transit operations.

"Some 10,000 Midtown Direct customers are taking the train to Hoboken in the morning. About 3500 customers a day are taking the four early mid town direct trains to Penn station New York, approximately double the pre-summer number," said Steve Santoro, Executive Director of NJ Transit.

Although this hearing had previously been scheduled, it comes right after several NJ Transit trains were canceled on Monday and Tuesday because there weren't enough crew members available. This was largely because of a union contract that gives workers the right to takes two days to choose a new assignment during schedule changes.

Lawmakers also stressed the need for federal funding for the Gateway Rail Tunnel and Portal Bridge projects.

Assemblyman John Mckeon is demanding more information from NJ Transit about their revenue and train fares.

"I'm really disappointed in Jersey transit for not being all that trans parent and forthcoming regarding documents we are looking for and there will be subpoenas deliver to their desks on Friday on making certain they now comply as a matter of law," said Mckeon.

An Amtrak official who testified stated that repair work has actually been ahead of schedule and they just completed the demolition of track 10 in Penn Station. So far, they still expect the work to be completed around Labor Day.