New Jersey
N.J. Transit Shuts Down Train Service, Blaming Engineer Sickout
New Jersey Transit abruptly shut down all rail service on Friday night amid what officers stated was a coordinated effort by the system’s engineers’ union to name in sick.
Engineers referred to as in sick all through the day at almost 3 times the standard weekday charge, stated Jim Smith, a spokesman for New Jersey Transit, in an announcement. The consequence was a day of cancellations throughout the system, the nation’s largest statewide transit company.
The canceled journeys started within the morning and worsened into the night, scrambling commutes out and in of Penn Station and irritating riders at the start of a vacation weekend.
Penn Station was uncrowded Friday night, usually a lightweight journey day within the post-pandemic period, however commuters caught unexpectedly sprinted towards the stairways resulting in the platforms. Schedule boards confirmed stable ranks of canceled trains into the night time.
Anna Rodriguez, 28, had left work in Roslyn Heights, Lengthy Island, to catch an 8 p.m. practice to Paterson, N.J., when she found the shutdown.
“I used to be shocked after I got here down and noticed this,” she stated, gesturing to the gates blocking the ready space. “I used to be already tremendous drained, and now I’ve to consider what to do.”
Her choices had been restricted: She may take a Lyft for $110; or a bus, however didn’t know the place to start discovering the proper one; or she may cancel her plans altogether.
“I’m dissatisfied,” she stated, explaining that she had deliberate to remain in a single day in New Jersey earlier than touring to Pennsylvania to see her 9-year-old son. “I don’t get plenty of days off to see my son.”
“We had been speculated to spend the weekend collectively and now I don’t assume that’s going to occur,” she added.
Zubayda Muksinova, 68, who lives in Coney Island however travels to Linden, N.J., each Friday night time to spend the weekends along with her son, needed to wait at Penn Station for about two hours for her son to drive in and decide her up.
“We discovered a manner by way of a tough state of affairs,” she stated, sighing closely. “It’s no good, however what are you able to do?”
“However I hope this doesn’t go on,” she added, saying that she was already fearful about getting again to town on Monday. “I do not know what I might do.”
Mr. Smith stated the company had been made conscious on Thursday of a rumor that the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, a rail union, had deliberate what he referred to as “an unlawful job motion.”
Of the 15 rail unions at New Jersey Transit, BLET is the one one which had not reached a contract settlement with the company. Every of the opposite unions had lately agreed upon their contracts, which included Juneteenth as a paid vacation. However for staff underneath BLET, it’s not. The vacation, which falls on Sunday this yr, was noticed on Friday in New Jersey.
A union official didn’t instantly reply to cellphone or e-mail messages.
“We intend to discover all authorized treatments in response to this unlawful and irresponsible motion,” Mr. Smith stated. “We’ll be monitoring the state of affairs and we’ll be alerting prospects as to the resumption of service tomorrow.”
New Jersey Transit has suffered for years from scant funding, which has resulted in poor upkeep of its trains and common shortages of engineers. Final yr, the company graduated a category of 17 engineers after a two-year coaching program, bringing the work drive to 385 engineers, tantalizingly near full energy of 390.
“Rising the ranks of our locomotive engineers is an integral a part of our three-year effort to show NJ Transit round, enhance on-time efficiency and responsiveness, and restore the religion of NJ Transit’s prospects,” Governor Phil Murphy stated in a information launch on the time.
On Friday night, rail tickets had been being honored by New Jersey Transit and personal buses, mild rail and PATH trains.
The shutdown additionally affected the Metro-North Railroad’s Pascack Valley and Port Jervis traces, that are operated by New Jersey Transit, west of the Hudson River, stated Sean Butler, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman, in an announcement.
New Jersey
Latest Snow Predictions For Friday Night Storm In NJ
NEW JERSEY — Snowfall ranging from a light dusting to up to 2 inches is anticipated for New Jersey Friday night into Saturday, though some uncertainty about how the storm could unfold means that amounts may be higher in areas, according to the latest forecast.
Northwest Jersey is expected to see 1 to 2 inches, with “a slushy coating to up to an inch” of snow predicted for the rest of the Garden State, according to the National Weather Service. Light precipitation will come in during the morning into the afternoon, transitioning to mainly snow overnight.
A Hazardous Weather Outlook has been issued for the northeast corner of the state through Friday night, as travel conditions could become slippery.
Find out what’s happening in Across New Jerseyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“The danger is the snow can quickly erupt and come down at a steady clip in some areas during the afternoon and evening rush hour on Friday in the Northeast,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. This includes the metro areas of New York City and Philadelphia, he said.
Forecasters said there is some uncertainty with this storm depending on how it plays out. The National Weather Service called it “a difficult forecast,” and noted that snowfall amounts could be higher than forecast.
Find out what’s happening in Across New Jerseyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“Conditions around New York City are tricky,” Rayno said. “They can get a coating to an inch or two of snow from the clipper storm, perhaps a bit more if the coastal storm tracks farther west, or they could be in a rip-off zone where nothing to a few flurries occur.”
Saturday marks the first day of winter, and snow will end by late morning, forecasters say. Cold temperatures will linger through the weekend.
Here’s the latest forecast.
North Jersey
Friday: A chance of rain and snow before noon, then snow likely between noon and 1 p.m., then rain and snow likely after 1 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 36. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday Night: Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 11 p.m. Low around 29. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Saturday: A chance of snow before 1 p.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 31. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 14. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 24. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 7.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 28.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18.
Tuesday: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Central Jersey
Friday: Rain. High near 39. Northeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Friday Night: Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 2 a.m. Low around 32. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Saturday: A chance of snow before 1 p,m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 33. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 14. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 26. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 8.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 31.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38.
South Jersey
Friday: Rain. High near 42. North wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Friday Night: Rain before 10 p.m., then rain and snow likely between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., then a chance of snow after 4 a.m. Low around 31. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Saturday: A chance of snow before 1 p.m. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 36. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 14. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 27. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 7.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 34.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40.
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New Jersey
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New Jersey
Exclusive: Video shows emergency response to deadly train collision in New Jersey
Thursday, December 19, 2024 10:44PM
Dan Krauth has more on the emergency response.
BURLINGTON COUNTY, New Jersey (WABC) — An exclusive video obtained by Eyewitness News shows the emergency response to a large train collision in New Jersey in October.
A NJ Transit train hit a tree on the tacks, killing the train operator and injuring 23 others.
For the first time, we are seeing the emergency response to what happened.
The train was about 10 miles south of Trenton when it stuck a large tree.
What happened after was captured on police body camera video.
It shows what officers from Mansfield Township first encountered when they arrived on the scene on October 14th.
———-
DO YOU NEED A STORY INVESTIGATED? Dan Krauth, Kristin Thorne, and the 7 On Your Side Investigates team at Eyewitness News want to hear from you! Call our confidential tip line 1-877-TIP-NEWS (847-6397) or fill out the form BELOW.
Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
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