SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Josh Jordan rides New Jersey Transit’s River Line to work. Well, he tries to.
“For the last couple of weeks, it hasn’t been on time,” he said. “I’m late for work or I’m late going home.”
And that’s if trains are running at all. Riders like Jordan are getting fed up with the frequency of delayed and canceled trains on the light rail between Camden and Trenton. The transit agency blames equipment issues and availability.
“We’re told it’s because it’s hot outside … the cars are too hot,” said Burlington County-based state Sen. Troy Singleton. “Parts that are still trying to be sourced. A whole cadre of excuses.”
Singleton said the River Line improved briefly after he publicly criticized its poor service last September, but trains are getting regularly delayed and canceled once again.
He said he is “extremely disappointed” in the transit agency. Several constituents have reached out to him about being inconvenienced by these disruptions, and he believes “enough’s enough.”
NJ Transit hasn’t answered Singleton’s requests for more information.
“While we’ve tried to be as accommodating in recognizing some of the challenges in seeking some of those answers, I believe we’re going to have to turn up the temperature a little bit and be a little bit more aggressive in trying to hold this organization to account,” he added.
Singleton is considering holding public hearings to make NJ Transit explain the River Line’s poor performance.
“Occasional cancellations … can be excused,” he noted. “But these situations that are happening year after year are inexcusable, and New Jersey Transit has to get its act together.”
In a statement to KYW, NJ Transit said it is "working every day" to resolve the equipment issues.
"A common fault was identified with the auxiliary power units (APUs) in the light rail units and replacement units were ordered," the statement continued.
NJ Transit said the River Line cars are "one-of-a-kind" models custom build to share the tracks with Conrail freight trains. It said the time it takes to build the custom APUs and "supply chain issues" have led to delays in getting more APUs. Excessive heat in recent weeks was also blamed for having "taken a toll" on other mechanical components of the line, further impacting service.