Heat causes delays for NJ Transit riders

New Jersey Transit commuters sat on hot trains for about 45 minutes as service on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line were suspended due to an Amtrak wire problem.

Sarcasm and frustration set in as delayed commuters took to Twitter and made #NJTransit a trending topic. "NJTransit didn't tell any of today's riders about the fact they're helping commuters relive the magic of their #SuperBowl snafu #JerseyCity," tweeted rider @JohnnyAction. "Today's morning commute was brought to you by @NJTRANSIT "We'll get you to your destination eventually!" commented @TySalomon.

Midday commuters faced 20-minute delays for much of the morning but by afternoon NJ Transit was back on schedule. Bus riders also had a rough ride as an accident on Route 3 caused delays for buses in the area.

Riders in recent days have reported that trains have been canceled without warning and there have been several minor switching problems. NJ Transit Senior Spokesman William Smith says one problem faced by the the system during summer heat is power lines sagging and possibly snapping.

New Jersey 101.5 Fast Traffic's Bernie Wagenblast adds that "heat kinks" - which occur when the rails expand from the heat - lead to trains being slowed down as a precaution to prevent a derailment. Wagenblast said Amtrak and NJ Transit have differing rules for the temperature at which speed must be reduced.

According to Smith, while Amtrak is responsible for maintenance on the Northeast Corridor, NJ Transit has teams in place ready on their own lines to respond and made repairs as quickly as possible.

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