New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) train engineers, represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Friday, marking the state’s first transit strike in over 40 years. The walkout has suspended all NJ Transit rail service, including Metro-North Railroad’s west of Hudson routes, affecting an estimated 350,000 daily commuters across New Jersey and New York City.
The strike follows a breakdown in negotiations between NJ Transit and the BLET, with wages and working conditions at the heart of the dispute. The union rejected NJ Transit’s latest proposal on Thursday, with BLET General Chairman Tom Haas saying, “We presented them the last proposal; they rejected it and walked away with two hours left on the clock.”
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri described the situation as a “pause in the conversations” but expressed hope for resuming talks quickly.
The BLET, representing about 450 locomotive engineers, is seeking pay parity with engineers at other regional commuter railroads, such as Amtrak and the MTA. The union claims its members earn an average of $113,000 annually and has proposed an average salary of $170,000. NJ Transit disputes these figures, asserting that engineers earn an average of $135,000, with top earners exceeding $200,000.
Kolluri has warned that accepting the union’s demands would cost taxpayers and NJ Transit $1.363 billion between July 2025 and June 2030, potentially requiring a 17% fare increase or a 27% hike in the Corporate Transit Fee. The agency, already grappling with a budget deficit, implemented a 15% fare increase in July 2024 and plans a 3% annual increase starting July 2025.
The union argues that the wage gap between their proposal and NJ Transit’s is roughly $4 million annually, a sum Haas noted is less than the $4 million daily cost of NJ Transit’s contingency bus plan. “NJ Transit is being a little cagey with the numbers here,” Haas said.
NJ Transit has rolled out a contingency plan to mitigate the strike’s impact, but it can accommodate only about 20% of its 172,000 weekday rail riders. Starting Monday, charter buses will operate from four park-and-ride lots—Secaucus Junction and PNC Bank Arts Center to Port Authority Bus Terminal, Hamilton Rail Station to Newark Penn Station PATH Station, and Woodbridge Center Mall to Harrison PATH Station. Enhanced bus service will also run on select routes near rail stations, and NJ Transit rail tickets will be cross-honored on its buses and light rail lines. However, the limited bus capacity—each bus carries about 100 passengers compared to 1,000 on a full train—has prompted NJ Transit to urge commuters to work from home and limit travel to essential purposes.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will deploy additional staff to manage crowds at stations, while NY Waterway is increasing ferry services to accommodate displaced commuters. Private bus operator Boxcar has also launched emergency shuttle services from several counties.
Tom Wright, president of the Regional Plan Association, warned of “cascading effects” across all transportation modes, noting that buses, ferries, and PATH trains are already at capacity. Major employers in New York are scrambling to develop contingency plans for their workers, with many encouraging remote work.
Governor Phil Murphy, speaking alongside Kolluri late Thursday, emphasized the need for a deal that is “fair to employees and affordable to New Jersey’s commuters and taxpayers.” Murphy has not ruled out declaring a state of emergency but remains optimistic about reaching an agreement. The governor has been actively involved in the talks, which continued into Thursday afternoon without significant progress.
While NJ Transit and the BLET have a history of averting strikes at the last minute—most recently in 2016—the current impasse suggests a prolonged standoff. The 1983 NJ Transit strike lasted 34 days, and other commuter rail strikes in the region have stretched for weeks or months without Congressional intervention. Unlike freight railroads, commuter rail strikes rarely prompt federal action, leaving resolution to the negotiating table.