Some Morning Commuting Comments

I usually leave my house at 6:40 AM and take the bus to the #7 line, transfer at Times Square to the 1, 2, or 3 train to Penn Station where I pick up a New Jersey Transit train.  If I make excellent connections I get on the 7:36 to Jersey Avenue (Northeast Corridor Line).  The only thing I don’t understand is why that train does not stop at Newark Airport.  On most days I catch the 7:44 to Long Branch (North Jersey Coast Line).  Here are two recent incidents with this train:

One day I boarded the train and the conductor announced that an Amtrak train was blocking it and we should transfer to the 7:53 which would be leaving first.  Kudos to this conductor.

A few days later the 7:44 stopped at Secaucus when th conductor announced that there were minor mechanical problems and that the crew was working on it.  This took about 15 minutes, but the 7:53 from NY Penn came by and passed us.  This time the conductor did not tell us that we could move over to this train.  When the repair was completed we had to wait for an Amtrak train to pass.

Most, but not all, NJ Transit delays on the northeast corridor are cuased by Amtrak.

All in a day’s commute.

 

New Jersey Transit Was Under Investigation Before The Crash in Hoboken

I have complained many times in the past in this blog about antiquated fare collection methods and derelicts in Newark Penn Station, but safety on the rails is a much more important issue.  There was an article in today’s New York Times that there was an increade in safety violations.  This article stated “A spokeswoman for New Jersey Transit did not respond to a request for comment.”

So what else is new?  There must be transparency in the operation of a commuter railroad that handles thousands of passengers a day.  I think the state legislature must investigate these safety issues thoroughly.  The man on top must take responsibility when things go wrong.