Rep. Gottheimer wants Amtrak to reimburse NJ Transit riders for major delays
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, along with other officials, gathered in Glen Rock on Monday to announce a new Public Transit Ridership Plan.
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Leaders across New Jersey say they are growing tired of ongoing rail delays and they want riders to be reimbursed.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, along with other officials, gathered in Glen Rock on Monday to announce a new Public Transit Ridership Plan. Gottheimer says that the goal is to reduce New Jersey Transit delays – most of which fall on Amtrak and its aging infrastructure.
"If it weren't for Amtrak issues, 92.3% of New Jersey Transit trains would run on time," Gottheimer says.
Amtrak owns and operates the rails that NJ Transit runs on. If the delays continue, Gottheimer says Amtrak should pay up.
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"The legislation will guarantee that passengers receive automatic, prompt, and full refunds when their trains are canceled or significantly changed by more than three hours, just like the airlines,” he says. "The Rail Passenger Bill of Rights will apply to Amtrak and ensure that, when Amtrak is to blame for the NJ Transit delay, Amtrak will foot the bill for refunds on NJT."
A spokesperson for Amtrak wrote in a statement, "Amtrak is working hard to improve the reliability of the Northeast Corridor after nearly five decades of chronic underfunding by both the federal government and our commuter partners. We and NJ Transit, like, Rep. Gottheimer, want on-time service that meet customer expectations and we are working diligently, together, to identify root causes and make improvements to the many old assets we rely on every day to support roughly 450 daily trains in New Jersey."
Gottheimer says he plans to meet with Amtrak officials this week and says he has requested a meeting with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
