New Jersey is offering free train rides for a week to make up for recent delays

In an effort to compensate passengers for repeated delays over the summer, Governor Phil Murphy announced free fares on Transit trains, buses and the Light Rail system from August 26 to September 2.

Murphy says this is his way of “thanking” all the residents and visitors whose itineraries have been canceled or delayed in recent weeks.

“The fare holiday is a way to express our sincere appreciation for customers’ continued loyalty and support, especially at a time when transit service is not consistently meeting their expectations – or ours,” said the governor.

The amount that a daily train traveler can save is nothing to sneeze at. For example, those traveling from New Brunswick to New York Penn Station will save up to $160, while passengers traveling from Cranford to the city will save up to $100, and so on.

Although Eric, a bus driver from Matawan, wants to save as much as $70 this week, he doesn’t believe this will solve the real problems facing the city’s public transportation system.

“I get it; it’s a thank you, and it’s nice that the government is saying thank you in any way,” Eric told News 12. But “it’s kind of a distraction from the problems, and again, a good distraction, but problems have to be real dissolved. dissolved.”

One of the issues the driver points to involves problems with overhead wires that often leave passengers stranded on trains, in addition to a circuit breaker failure that caused electrical damage between New York City’s Penn Station and Newark’s Union Station in June.

In that regard, a spokesperson for NJ Transit and Amtrak said they have increased equipment inspections and repairs to prevent future disruptions and inconveniences.

For now, Governor Murphy’s “thank you” will cost taxpayers another $19 million in revenue.

On the other hand, those who want to take advantage of Labor Day weekend to visit family and friends or enjoy a day at the beach can do so for free.

“We also encourage New Jerseyans to take advantage of this opportunity, and we remain grateful to the many New Jerseyans who rely on public transportation,” Murphy said in a statement.

Popular beach and mountain tourist destinations that will be free to visit next week include Atlantic City, Harriman State Park and New York State.

Early birds who already secured their NJ Transit tickets for August will receive a 25% discount on their September passes as compensation.