Passenger Trains > NJ Transit funding: a mirage?

After years of saying that it is past time to fix NJ Transit, the legislature has failed to increase funding. In spite of a huge state revenue increase.

Legislative leader Loretta Weinberg lambasted the members, noting that NJ has received federal stimulus funds, but is still playing the shell game of moving capital funds to cover operating costs.

https://www.nj.com

Posted from Android

NJT service is horrible, daily train cancellations from mechanical breakdowns. Throwing more money at them won't fix it and they know it. Management is the problem, like Amtrak, especially in Chicago. 

In all seriousness:

Has Amtrak and NJT just reached a point where they don't know HOW to fix this problem - of late trains, equipment failures, etc.? This was mentioned before and I don't mean to bring it up again, but with folks that may have been furloughed, laid off, or just not returning back to the RR due to COVID perhaps they've lost important institutional knowledge? It's not like there's another "Amtrak" in the United States. There's barely a VIA Rail Canada!!!

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Has Amtrak and NJT just reached a point where they
> don't know HOW to fix this problem 

As a good friend used to claim, "The people who damage something almost never know how to fix it." Seems doubtful this would be the exception to that rule.
—Mac

Weinberg has a long reputation as a friend of commuters, and a thorn to NJ Transit officials.

She will be missed.

Posted from Android

NJT's management has been subpar for a while unfortunately. Just because the shortage of engineers has stopped doesn't mean that trains aren't still getting cancelled. There are still equipment breakdowns, especially on those 40 plus year old Arrow IIIs. Yes, NJT's management is almost like the mgmt of Amtrak out of Chicago. Those Charger units should not be having as many issues that they have been.

Hardest hit line seems to be mechanical problems on Long Branch trains. Arrow III MU's cannot be their assignments. It is MMC's ineptitude in maintaining their electric locomotives, which by definition means a single point of failure. Since MN and LIRR electric operations are 100% MU, and they have an MDBF of about 200 to 400 thousand miles, they do not have these issues. 

Since they are done hiring engineers, they can no longer blame ex-Governor Christie. It is the current Governor Murphy, who thinks President Corbett is doing a great job, but allows MMC shenanigans, which also determines equipment policies, like buying another expensive and complex 25 dual-power locos, whose capability they do not need. 

https://njtranshit.com/



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/21 06:26 by joemvcnj.

Retaining the good mechanical staff that NJT has, and giving them the tools and materials to get the job done is the next priority.

Two commuter groups, the Lackawanna Coalition and the Shore Commuters for On Time Service led other groups in a coordinated fight to improve the rail lines in the 1970s and 1980s. Put heat on Freeholder boards, state legislators, and others to rebuild the rails. Several leaders / endorsed candidates were elected to legislative positions, and the job got done. Eventually...

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Retaining the good mechanical staff that NJT has,
> and giving them the tools and materials to get the
> job done is the next priority.
>
> Two commuter groups, the Lackawanna Coalition and
> the Shore Commuters for On Time Service led other
> groups in a coordinated fight to improve the rail
> lines in the 1970s and 1980s. Put heat on
> Freeholder boards, state legislators, and others
> to rebuild the rails. Several leaders / endorsed
> candidates were elected to legislative positions,
> and the job got done. Eventually...

No more "Freeholder" boards in NJ. Now NJ counties are run by "Commissioner" boards.  

Given the state of the labor market, I would not be surprised if NJT is having problems retaining staff, particularly on the maintenance side.  Lots of competition for skilled craft workers, with high pay and even signing bonuses from private industry.

LIRR, MN, PATH, and NYCTA don't seem to have this maintenance problem, though the latter is short on operating crews. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/21 11:23 by joemvcnj.

prr60 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> (SNIP)
>
> No more "Freeholder" boards in NJ. Now NJ counties
> are run by "Commissioner" boards.  
>
> Given the state of the labor market, I would not
> be surprised if NJT is having problems retaining
> staff, particularly on the maintenance side. 
> Lots of competition for skilled craft workers,
> with high pay and even signing bonuses from
> private industry.

I always enjoyed calling them chosen freeloaders. Oh, well.

Keeping good mechanics, welders, electricians, etc is a moving and expensive target.

Posted from Android