(This story was updated to include new information.)
Anyone riding a New Jersey rail line after midnight Friday can count themselves lucky if they reached their destination stations and homes.
A pending strike by one of NJ Transit’s 15 labor unions moved state officials to order what they’ve termed a “safe shutdown” starting at that time. New train departures were halted, but those already out were to complete their routes.
Gov. Phil Murphy and NJ Transit President Kris Kolluri scheduled a press conference to address the strike at 10 a.m. at the Aberdeen-Matawan Train Station in Aberdeen Township, Monmouth County.
More: NJ Transit strike: Engineers walk out, halting all trains; bus service continues to operate
In a statement released just before midnight, Murphy and Kolluri placed blame on the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, aka BLET. They said the state had a tentative agreement with rail unions March 25, but BLET has decided not to sign it.
BLET, which had previously called the deal “fair and responsible,” is the only one of NJ Transit’s 15 rail unions that has not signed the initial pattern bargaining agreement.
“This strike will upend the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans,” Murphy said. “My message tonight to our locomotive engineers is this: the path to a new contract will be paved at the negotiating table, not the picket line.
“Ultimately, it is the people of New Jersey who will suffer because of this strike.”
State Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-25, the Senate Republican leader, called for all parties to return to negotiations. Workers need fair treatment but commuters need protection from fare increases and businesses from higher taxes, he said.
“The Murphy administration and NJ Transit have had five years to settle this labor dispute, and their failure to do so is simply intolerable. NJ commuters deserve better,” Bucco said.
More: NJ Transit president on light rail expansion: It’s coming to South Jersey, like it or not.
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen join the NJ Transit’s board meeting at NJ Transit headquarters, May 14, 2025.
Will the NJ Transit strike impact South Jersey?
According to an NJ Transit website, the River LINE between the city of Camden and Trenton is operating on regular weekday schedules, as are other light rail services. The River Line reportedly carries about 9,000 people daily Monday though Friday.
NJ Transit spokesman Jim Smith said the River Line operators are employed by a third-party contractor paid by Nj Transit. The strike does not affect those operators, he said.
NJ Transit lists these South Jersey communities with train stations as part of the Atlantic City Rail Line: Atco (Waterford Township), Atlantic City, Cherry Hill, Egg Harbor City, Hammonton, Lindenwold and Pennsauken. The Atlantic City Rail Line is not operating, Smith said.
NJ Transit has issued extensive advice and information resources for riders. Officials said they’re concentrating assets on 70,000-plus riders who commute to New York.
Customers without internet may find live operator assistance 24 hours a day by calling 973-275-5555.
Some notes on the current situation:
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All bus routes are on their regular schedules.
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River LINE, connecting the city of Camden and Trenton, and other light rail service are on regular weekday schedules.
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ACCESS Link is operating normally, but longer travel times are expected.
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Valid rail tickets and passes are to be honored on all NJ Transit buses and light rail lines, but not on Amtrak, PATH, PATCO, SEPTA, or ferry or private carrier buses.
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For additional information on alternative services from specific rail stations, you may visit njtransit.com/abc and click on your rail line to bring up your particular station.
Customers may also access NJ Transit’s social media feed on X at @njtransit.
Additionally, NJ Transit is to provide service information via push notifications in the mobile app and through the My Transit alert system at njtransit.com/mytransit, which delivers travel advisories for specific trips. Service information is also available by calling 973-275-5555.
Web links to more information sources:
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: NJ Transit train service down after strike vote, but not light rail
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