NJ Transit Trains Still Seeing Delays On Friday After Derailment

It’s been a long week for NJ Transit train riders, and it may not be over yet.

On Friday afternoon – almost a day after a “minor” derailment of an NJ Transit train cut off train service into and out of New York Penn Station – the agency told commuters that delays from the incident were still lingering.

“Train service in and out of Penn Station New York is subject to 30-minute delays following yesterday’s minor, slow-speed train derailment,” NJ Transit wrote on Twitter just prior to the Friday evening rush hours.

It was a marginal bit better than the agency’s earlier announcement of 45-minute delays, which inspired comments such as:

• “Well I was supposed to arrive at 8:59, it’s now 9:57 and we still haven’t moved at all from outside Secaucus. The ‘45-minutes’ is not true either. Nice try though, numbers are hard. You’ll get there eventually.”
• “What’s up for this eve commute? How about giving us a top 3 choices we can choose from about how you will suck tonight and get us home late for 4th consecutive night AND BONUS on a Fri eve?”
• “Yeah. Last night was awesome, waiting in Penn for hours as I watched all my trains being cancelled. Eventually breaking and paying for a PATH train, and then a $45 Uber when I got out. Can’t wait to do it all over again tonight. So glad I pay for a monthly pass.”

Thursday’s derailment came after another lengthy evening of delays on Tuesday, when a NJ Transit train struck and killed a person. The agency labeled the incident a “trespasser strike.”

The fatality caused hours-long delays to several trains on the Morris & Essex line, as well as at least one train on the Montclair-Boonton line.

• See related article: NJ Transit 'Trespasser Strike'; Long Delays For Morris/Essex
• See related article: Gov. Phil Murphy Orders 'Full-Scale Audit' Of New Jersey Transit

THREE OTHER WAYS TO GET ACROSS THE HUDSON

TAKE THE PATH – During Thursday’s derailment, the Port Authority PATH temporarily cross-honored rail tickets and passes at 33rd Street, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken. (Visit the PATH website here)

TAKE THE BUS – As of Friday afternoon, bus service traveling to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC was operating “on or close to schedule,” NJ Transit stated. But beware; earlier delays of up to 15 minutes were seen at the PABT due to an earlier disabled vehicle on RT-495. (See NJ Transit bus schedules here)

TAKE THE FERRY – Taking a NY Waterway ferry may be another way to get across the Hudson, as NJ Transit suggested during Thursday’s derailment. (See the NY Waterway ferry schedules here)

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