Train service across New Jersey came to a halt early Friday morning after about 450 unionized locomotive engineers walked off the job, launching the state’s first full transit strike in more than four decades.
The strike is expected to severely impact tens of thousands of commuters in the New York City metro area.
The engineers, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), began picketing at 4 a.m., demanding fairer pay. Union President Mark Wallace criticized the state’s priorities, saying, “They have money for penthouse views and pet projects, just not for their frontline workers. Enough is enough.”
The walkout immediately shut down New Jersey Transit’s (NJ Transit) entire rail service, which normally carries around 70,000 weekday passengers into Manhattan’s Penn Station. Thousands more rely on the system for access to Newark and Hoboken.
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri expressed disappointment but said he remains open to negotiations: “This is not a lost cause. This is an eminently achievable deal.” Governor Phil Murphy echoed this, saying the agency’s latest offer met most of the union’s demands.
With no clear end to the strike in sight, the disruption is expected to ripple through regional transportation, forcing commuters to find alternative routes such as buses, ferries, and carpools. Updates are expected as talks continue.