Off the rails: NJ Transit Train No. 2606 dubbed ‘worst commuter train’ in US

A new report by the New York Times found that one particular New Jersey Transit train is the worst commuter train in America.

News 12 Staff

Oct 9, 2019, 12:57 AM

Updated 1,873 days ago

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No one would say that commuting in New Jersey is fun, but some people have it worse than others.
A new report by the New York Times found that one particular New Jersey Transit train is the worst commuter train in America. The reporters crunched the data and found that North Jersey Coast Line Train No. 2606 was the most frequently canceled commuter train in the country.
This particular train has been canceled 20 times so far this year.
NJ Transit has been facing criticism over the past year due to cancellations and delays on many of its lines. The issue seems to stem from a shortage of engineers. The agency has had to cancel 1,300 trains during the first six months of 2019.
The uncertainty of the train system is taking its toll on many New Jerseyans who rely on the trains to get to work.
Middletown resident Nick Giovine says that his boss lets him work at home a few times a week because he was always late anyway due to the trains. He says that it has made him regret moving to Middletown from Old Bridge, where he used to take the bus to work in Jersey City. He also says that his wife quit her job because of the commute and started her own business.
“You can thank New Jersey Transit for something. She started her own business because the trains were so bad,” Giovine says.
NJ Transit officials say that the schedule will get better soon. Three classes of engineers will graduate in the upcoming months.
A spokeswoman for NJ Transit said that trains are canceled when resources are scarce. But she says that there are other routes available for commuters along North Jersey Coast Line.
Overall cancellations were down systemwide 35% so far this year compared to 2018.