NJ Transit scolds impatient riders who jumped from train

🚄 Northeast Corridor service was disrupted by wire issues Monday afternoon

🚄 It took commuters hours to arrive at their destination

🚄 Impatient riders jumped off the trains and walked away

NJ Transit admonished riders caught on video jumping off a Northeast Corridor train stopped because of an overheard wire issue in Metuchen on Monday afternoon.

The suspension of service continued until Tuesday morning when several trains were canceled before the start of the morning commute.

NJ Transit and Amtrak trains were single-tracked through the area, causing long delays with some commuters not getting home for several hours. A commuter, Chris Squire, wrote on his Facebook page it took seven hours for his train from New York to arrive in Philadelphia.

Amtrak owns and maintains the Northeast Corridor tracks.

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"Significant danger" because of high voltage wires

NJ Transit spokesman Jim Smith said the impatient commuters created a “significant danger” because of the high voltage overhead wire involved.

"Exiting a train without proper authorization from the crew is highly dangerous and should never be done by any customer at any time," Smith said in an email. "During an event like this, the safest place for everyone was aboard the train. Emergency evacuations should only be conducted under supervision of the train crew."

Smith said their actions are "strongly condemned" by NJ Transit and violators could be charged and arrested, according to Smith.

The issue happens as NJ Transit riders are bracing for a 15% fare increase on July 1, the first hike since 2014. The agency faces an estimated $119 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 2025 resulting from a significant drop in ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic that has not fully recovered.

Hoboken mayor and congressional candidate Ravi Bhalla asked Gov. Phil Murphy to veto the "unconscionable" increase because the corporate business tax will generate the revenue needed by NJ Transit to meet its budget.

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