Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT have announced progress in their joint efforts to improve service reliability on the Northeast Corridor (NEC). Governor Phil Murphy, Amtrak, and NJ TRANSIT highlighted recent advancements in infrastructure and service reliability during a meeting held today. This meeting follows an earlier gathering on June 27th, led by Governor Murphy, aimed at addressing significant service disruptions that occurred over the summer.
Governor Murphy stated, "This summer, I brought Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT together to address unacceptably long, disruptive rail delays on NJ TRANSIT that were a consistent problem in the spring and early summer." He further added that Amtrak has completed inspections of all 240 miles of catenary overhead wire systems between Trenton and New York City. Despite ongoing challenges due to aging infrastructure, he expressed optimism about future improvements.
Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner commented on the partnership with NJ TRANSIT: "Our partnership with NJ TRANSIT and joint commitment to Governor Murphy to ensure that our collective customers have safe and reliable train service is achieving results." He emphasized continued inspections and repairs as part of long-term modernization plans.
NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett noted the positive impact on customer reliability: "While we are pleased with the progress that has improved reliability for tens of thousands of NJ TRANSIT rail customers, our joint efforts will continue." He stressed maintaining focus on infrastructure upgrades along the NEC.
The collaboration between Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT was initiated after several major disruptions in May and June affected service reliability between Trenton and New York City. Since then, both organizations have implemented immediate actions leading to improved service quality over recent months.
Additionally, Amtrak secured nearly $300 million in federal grants for projects aimed at modernizing critical rail infrastructure in New Jersey. These funds will support planning, development, or construction activities necessary for advancing these projects.
NJ TRANSIT operates as the largest statewide public transportation system in the United States. It facilitates over 925,000 weekday trips across bus routes, light rail lines, commuter rail lines, and paratransit services.
