By all accounts, it’s been a bad summer to be a rail commuter in New Jersey. Plagued by Amtrak infrastructure problems along the Northeast Corridor, which runs through the heart of New Jersey into New York City, both Amtrak and NJ Transit have experienced catastrophic days of delays in recent months that have left commuters stranded.
Under a new proposal from Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff), those commuters wouldn’t be on the financial hook for their delayed trains. Gottheimer’s “All Aboard Act,” which he unveiled today at an event in Glen Rock, would create a Rail Passenger Bill of Rights, requiring automatic and prompt refunds on any Amtrak or New Jersey Transit train that was canceled or delayed by more than three hours due to Amtrak issues.
“If your train is delayed by hours, you should get your money back,” Gottheimer said, flanked by local Assemblywoman Lisa Swain (D-Fair Lawn) and Glen Rock Council President Jill Orlich. “It just makes sense. It’s what we do and require from the airlines; we should require the same thing from our rail.”
The All Aboard Act would also phase out Amtrak’s so-called “run to fail” strategy, in which infrastructure is continually used well past its reasonable lifespan. And Gottheimer additionally urged Amtrak to use the infrastructure funding Congress has previously provided to improve service on the Northeast Corridor and reduce delays.
“I’ve got people telling me they’re contemplating either moving or starting to drive every day,” he said. “I mean, driving from a town like [Glen Rock] to the city or around Jersey, when you have a transit system right here, is the exact opposite of what we want. We can’t let that happen – we need to reduce these delays and give commuters in our state some peace of mind so they stay in Jersey and raise their families in Jersey.”
Whether or not Gottheimer’s bill can become law is uncertain; it certainly seems like a stretch to pass within the few remaining months of the current Congress, much of which will be devoted to simply keeping the government open.
But Gottheimer’s event today continues the drumbeat from New Jersey politicians on solving the infrastructure problems that have led to hundreds of NJ Transit train cancelations – 657 in June alone. Earlier this summer, all 12 members of the New Jersey House delegation – each of whom has at least one NJ Transit stop in their district – wrote to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg demanding a federal investigation of the delays, and Senator Cory Booker later sent a similar letter of his own.
“NJ Transit is merely a tenant on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor; NJ Transit neither owns nor maintains the Corridor,” the House delegation letter states. “Amtrak does, and Amtrak’s troubles leave NJ Transit in an impossible position – unable to direct repairs on Amtrak property and unable to provide proper, reliable service to paying customers who depend on them… Needless to say, this situation is completely unacceptable.”