NJ Transit engineers to strike: Service disruptions, alternatives and what to expect

NEW JERSEY - The New Jersey Transit train engineers' union is striking, beginning Friday, impacting hundreds of thousands of commuters.

NJ Transit strike date

What we know:

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) engineers have been negotiating since 2019 on and off, and so far, no new contract has been reached. A mediation session earlier this week in Washington, D.C. yielded no deal. 

• MORE: Potential NJ Transit strike: These alternatives could help commuters

The union claims its members earn an average salary of $113,000 a year and says an agreement could be reached if agency CEO Kris Kolluri agrees to an average yearly salary of $170,000.

NJ Transit leadership, though, disputes the union's data, saying the engineers have average total earnings of $135,000 annually, with the highest earners exceeding $200,000.

Park-and-ride

If there is a strike each weekday starting Monday, there will be four park and rides set up – two of them, the one at Secaucus Junction and PNC Bank Arts Center – will take commuters directly to the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

The other in Hamilton will bring riders to Newark, where they can get on PATH trains. The fourth location at Woodbridge Center Mall will take commuters to the Harrison PATH station. 

"Due to a potential rail stoppage, NJ TRANSIT strongly advises all train customers to complete their travels and arrive at their final destination no later than 11:59 PM tonight," the agency said in a post on X.

Expanded bus service

What you can do:

Meanwhile, NJ Transit posted a contingency plan on their website. One aspect of this plan includes adding limited capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes.

However, even with the plan, the agency estimates it can only carry 20 percent of current rail customers. The routes that will be affected include:

• Northeast Corridor: 108, 112, 115 and 129 bus routes.
• Northeast Corridor: 108, 112, 115 and 129 bus routes.
• North Jersey Coast Line: 116 and 133/135 bus routes.
• Raritan Valley Line: 112 and 113 bus routes.
• Morris & Essex Lines: 107 bus routes.
• Montclair-Boonton Lines: 193 and 324 bus routes.
• Main/Bergen County Lines: 145, 163, 164 and 190 bus routes.
• Pascack Valley Line: 163, 164 and 165 bus routes.

NJ Transit will also be accepting valid rail tickets on buses.

Luxury bus company

Private bus company Boxcar will be launching emergency bus services for travelers affected by the potential strike.

Boxcar riders will be guaranteed seats, and the service has enhanced its schedule to accommodate the new commuters. The service has run routes out of Bergen, Essex, Morris, Somerset and Union counties, but just added a limited Metuchen line due to online demand.

Metro-North Railroad

Starting this week, Metro-North will cross-honor Port Jervis and Pascack Valley tickets on the Hudson and Harlem lines.

The Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines are NJ Transit rail lines that operate west of the Hudson River – both lines are operated under contract with Metro-North Railroad.

MetLife Stadium

Local perspective:

Due to the potential strike, NJ Transit will not be operating train or bus service to MetLife Stadium for two upcoming Shakira concerts.

Big picture view:

The potential walkout comes a month after union members overwhelmingly rejected a labor agreement with management. Both sides had earlier said the tentative agreement included a "reasonable wage increase" for union members as well as the resolution of a long-standing grievance.

If the walkout does happen, it would be the state’s first transit strike in more than 40 years.

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