New Jersey Transit suspended rail service into and out of New York City on Friday evening after a day in which dozens of trains were canceled because of an engineer shortage.

NJ Transit said the shortage was the result of an illegal job action by the union representing locomotive engineers, who currently don't have a collective bargaining agreement.

According to NJ Transit, the agreement being negotiated includes Friday's observance of Juneteenth as a holiday, while the agreement currently in place does not.

An email message seeking comment was left with the union’s local chairperson Friday.

“NJ Transit is disappointed that the union would perpetrate such an act on the more than 100,000 commuters who depend on NJ Transit rail service every day,” the state-operated transit corporation said in a statement. “We intend to explore all legal remedies in response to this illegal and irresponsible action.”

In an email Friday evening, New Jersey Transit said the last trains on 11 rail lines leaving New York, which normally operate until after midnight, would depart between about 7:15 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

New Jersey Transit is the country's third-largest provider of bus, rail and light rail transit.