Close to 100 trains were canceled in a week on NJ Transit\u2019s most ridden light rail line last week, including many during the afternoon commuting rush, due to lack of a person to operate the train.<\/p>\n
The cancelations happened last week with the most occurring on Monday, August 24, when 37 Hudson-Bergen Light rail trains were canceled between 3:54 p.m., and 10:39 p.m., according to NJ Transit alerts for the line. <\/p>\n
Riders complained on social media about crowded platforms at some stations and some asked if the cancelations were going to affect their next morning commute. One questioned if the lack of operators was due to a strike or job action. <\/p>\n
Another 24 trains canceled between 5:07 p.m. and 11:10 p.m. due to \u201coperator availability\u201d on August 26, according to NJ Transit alerts for the light rail line. A total of 25 trains were canceled on August 24 due to operator availability. On August 19, 13 Hudson-Bergen Light rail rains were canceled due to operator availability<\/p>\n
While the 34-mile long River Line is the longest NJ Transit light rail line, the 20.6-mile-long Hudson Bergen Light rail line has the highest ridership at 1.5 million from July 2024 to July 2025, which is the most recent available. <\/p>\n
NJ Transit\u2019s Hudson Bergen Light rail is operated under contract by 21st Century Rail Corporation. The Amalgamated Transport Union that represents light rail workers approved a new contract<\/a> with the contractor in July 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cNJ Transit reached out to the contractor as soon as the issue was identified with operator availability affecting service delivery and directed them to get the issue addressed as quickly as possible,\u201d said Jim Smith, an NJ Transit spokesperson. \u201cThey were able to resolve the issue and all afternoon runs were covered yesterday (Thursday).\u201d<\/p>\n A subsequent alert on Thursday said Hudson Bergen light rail trains reported intermittent 10-minute delays due to \u201ctwo operator assignment not being covered.\u201d No trains were canceled for lack of an operator on Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe apologize to our HBLR customers for any inconvenience experienced while the contractor worked to resolve the issue,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe will continue to monitor the situation through the holiday weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system has been operated by 21st Century for 28 years under a design build operate contract. <\/p>\n Last November, NJ Transit\u2019s board of directors voted to award a new contract<\/a> to ACI-Herzog Joint Venture of Boston after the old one expires this year. Three companies bid on the contract, including 21st Century.<\/p>\n The $1.56 billion, 15-year contract includes three main components, rail operations, maintenance of way, and vehicle maintenance. An additional scope includes work to bring the system to a state of good repair and capital work.<\/p>\n Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com<\/a>. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n Follow him on X@CommutingLarry<\/a> and on BlueSky@commutinglarry.bsky.social<\/a><\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n