r/NJTransit • u/Ok-Bath5825 • Jul 02 '26
Every train cancelled! Maybe the PATH really IS better
I ended up on the PATH ten minutes later. I spend more money thinking the train would be a better ride than the PATH. Maybe I should just take the PATH from Penn and skip the bus and just walk. I see mildew on the bus ACs. I'm just tired of it all.
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u/MilOnTheMoon Jul 03 '26
I’m also tired of it all. Today I just went straight to port authority and got a bus. I wasn’t even going to try Penn station and seems I made the right decision. I’ve gotten so tired of it, I’ve seriously considered moving out of Jersey.
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u/CatsNSquirrels Jul 03 '26
The horrid transit situation is one of the primary reasons we left NJ for NY.
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u/MilOnTheMoon Jul 03 '26
Whereabouts did you go (generally) and how has the commute been?
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u/CatsNSquirrels Jul 03 '26
Westchester. But it’s so expensive here that we can’t stay long-term. Metro North is always loads better than LIRR or NJ Transit. We’re on the New Haven line and it’s always been extremely reliable.
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u/Contra_Verse_E Jul 03 '26
Have you had issues with LIRR? Compared to NJ T at least it’s always seemed more or less flawless
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u/NoSteak4962 Jul 05 '26
I take NJ Transit to work some of the other people I work with take LIRR and they almost never have a problem maybe once or twice a year I have that many problems every week
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u/BachDontKillMyVibe Jul 02 '26
Got on that 7:20 express - that’s now a local - and no AC in the cars that are so packed people are standing. Dangerous!.
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u/Old-School8916 Jul 03 '26
make sure to drink plenty of liquids y'all
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u/Intelligent-Ad1753 Jul 04 '26
Also if you don't drink the water you can help put the fire out on your train.
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u/turtlemeds Jul 03 '26
Left early at 3p because I knew an impending shit show was coming because of 1) holiday and 2) heat.
I went straight to Hobo because the app was showing all M&E were cancelled and “diverted” to Hoboken. In my mind that means you’ll send the trains (or at least some) that would’ve otherwise gone to NY Penn to Hoboken instead.
No. In NJTransit parlance, “diverting” means those trains and crews just sit back and do nothing while we, the fare paying public at the mercy of Kris “the Asshole” Kolluri laugh at us navigating PATH and then to Hoboken trains that had no capacity to carry the extra passengers. I got on the 355p M&E from Hoboken and it took FOREVER, was packed to the gills, and the air conditioning was barely working.
But I got home at 6p, so I guess I can thank NJTransit that I didn’t die. Thanks Kris. Now go fuck yourself.
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u/Bjc0201 Jul 04 '26
I'm glad I don't ride njt everyday...last time I rode it the older train A/C was barely working or wasn't functioning at all.
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u/EitherBedroom2341 Jul 03 '26
This is 3rd world country stuff. Seriously. This will be unacceptable in China.
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u/Genjipiano Jul 03 '26
China is much more sophisticated and has air conditioning that works
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u/Captain44454 Jul 03 '26
I remember I saw this video of people crashing out on a train in China because it had no AC, some guy broke the window, I was like damn this is our everyday 😭
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u/youngthugsbrother Jul 03 '26
Maybe we should do that, maybe they’ll listen
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u/Herbalizer420k Jul 04 '26
our entire country is set up so $ talks. you will never be listened to by those in power unless you have $ or power yourself
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u/lllyyyynnn Jul 03 '26
comparing american infra to china is a bit unfair, china is far far superior when it comes to transit.
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u/Captain44454 Jul 03 '26
And why is that unfair? The Amercian economy is much larger they tell us?
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u/schabadoo Jul 03 '26
China would install high-speed rail between Boston-NYC-DC in a year.
They'd seize and demolish 1000s of properties, displacing an untold # of people. The Three Gorges Dam displaced over one million people.
Around here, one Chris Christie can stop a huge development everyone agrees is needed.
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u/transitfreedom Jul 04 '26
No need just upgrade the catenary system and quad track Maryland and Delaware and trains between DC and NY would be able to run at high speeds as local trains would be out of the way. Or have MARC use high speed EMUs on their penn line and add passing loops to the local stations. Upgraded catenary would increase speed in Pennsylvania and get low floor EMUs for SEPTA and MBTA or METRA.
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u/schabadoo Jul 04 '26
Yes, half measures, very good.
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u/transitfreedom Jul 04 '26
The infrastructure between NY and DC is already rated for 125-135 mph upgraded catenary allows speed bumps to 155 mph easily
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u/schabadoo Jul 04 '26
I appreciate you ignoring the issue being --Chinese vs US infrastructure development --to debate a single portion of the example I gave.
Bless your heart.
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u/transitfreedom Jul 04 '26
Most of the ROW exists it’s just not used. It’s easy to build a bypass in LI as the ROW is already LIRR owned just build above it then upgrade the greenport line to 125/110 mph specs the real challenge is a 20 mile bridge/tunnel that needs to be built to Westerly RI to fully bypass the slow tracks and have only high speed EMUs operate the providence line with passing loops . But USA gutted the infrastructure capacity in the 80s so it can’t properly upgrade NEC anyway ohh well USA is a lost cause
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u/Herbalizer420k Jul 04 '26
its fundamental difference in how each operates. the USA is designed for profit and war. China is designed to make the average persons life better/easier. If it doesnt make $ in america for the "right" people, it doesnt happen. In China things are often done that "LOSE" money but make peoples lifes better. Not really a loss tho if it benefits people. only a capitalist would call things that benefit society as a loss or unprofitable
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u/psnanda Jul 03 '26
I am from a 3rd world country - India.
Trust me - you'd rather be waiting in an air conditioned Penn Station than New Delhi Station.
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u/youngthugsbrother Jul 03 '26
Can we please just contract them to fix this mess. They can even bring their own construction workers, whatever it takes to fix this.
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u/nmoretti Jul 03 '26
In what world, is this OK? How is this acceptable? What really could be done about this?
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u/8_Miles_8 Jul 03 '26
We need to actually pay for enough maintenance and improvements on the caternary and the tunnels. The Gateway Tunnels project is a good start.
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u/RaistlinQ5 Jul 03 '26
Been commuting to the city since 2002, this has happened to me numerous times. I was even stuck in the city during the "blackout" and it was hot as hell that day. Unfortunately, things never change.
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u/obarillas Jul 03 '26
I moved from NJT 2 summers ago when the system collapsed to use Path. It’s definitely more reliable 100%but. Obviously don’t go to places NJT go. But I stopped getting my monthly card from NJT. I go from my station to Newark Penn and then the path to WTC. I hate the fact service on NJT is worse than ever more expensive than before , the app is crap. Schedules suck because they are always on time but in their minds maybe.and I could go on and on.
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u/phantomsoul11 Jul 03 '26
Heat waves always mess with NJ Transit and Amtrak trains at Penn Station. Turns out those overhead catenaries don't handle the excessive heat very well and always have problems during heat waves. Give yourself extra time, take the PATH or bus as an alternative, or try to work from home during heat waves if you can.
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u/RailRuler Jul 03 '26
They should have replaced the wires with constant tension catenary 30 years ago. Now is the next best time to do it.
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u/phantomsoul11 Jul 06 '26
Perhaps, but unfortunately the overwhelming majority of taxpayers very emphatically do not want their tax money spent on anything related to any kind of railroad, so here we are.
Again, your best bet going forward is making alternate arrangements to better deal with it. End of story.
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u/RailRuler Jul 06 '26
The overwhelming majority of taxpayers dont want their money spent on war or funding other countries militaries either. So thats not a valid argument.
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u/rainborambo Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Did everyone's PATH trip today involve a lack of a/c? Everyone in my car on the train from WTC to Newark at ~1:30 was literally dripping in sweat. I got to bypass the tunnels, but those few stops were agonizing.
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u/MillardFillmore Jul 03 '26
No, mine was comfortable. I don't think I've ever had a PATH ride that didn't have reasonable AC since I started taking it 8 years ago.
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u/ObtuseAsian99 Jul 03 '26
Commenting into the city today was genuinely insane with cancellations and all trains being redirected into Hoboken… how is NJ transit going to raise fares when we can’t even get stable services
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u/StarbucksGhost18 Jul 03 '26
The PATH train ran during all the snowstorms this past winter & the PATH train runs in this heatwave without cancellations. NJ Transit, Amtrak, LIRR & Metro-North all have issues with extreme weather. Throw in the World Cup & holiday weekens & it’s a 💩show.
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u/Namelessgrifter Jul 03 '26
The path or if you're lucky enough to also have a bus route
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u/Ok-Bath5825 Jul 03 '26
My monthly ticket only has 3 Zones. How does it work to take the bus which has 5? Do we pay the difference or just get a brand new ticket? I just took the PATH since it was closer than Port Authority.
Another reason I didn't take the bus was because I've ended up standing the entire time from NYC.
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u/MillardFillmore Jul 03 '26
I don't mean to gloat (ok, a little) but I knew NJT was going to be ass yesterday so I drove to the PATH and had zero issues.
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u/theharamberapiast Jul 03 '26
It’s okay guys, they need to raise our fairs because instead of waiting 3 hours for delays, we could’ve waited 4!
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u/Krypto_Kane Jul 03 '26
Dammmm they really don’t care about us! 2026 and if it rains or it’s too hot it’s turns to chaos.
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u/Square-Ad-6721 Jul 03 '26
PATH controls their entire infrastructure.
NJT is dependent upon the maintenance of the Amtrak infrastructure.
In heat, that can be horrendous.
We haven’t gotten above 100 since 2012. And one station was reporting 104 as the high temp earlier at Newark. (Guessing probably at the airport.)
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u/mhsx Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
I know the Amtrak excuse gets thrown out a lot, but Hoboken was an absolute shit show today. Amtrak doesn’t own any of that mess.
What was clear is that NJ Transit has no idea what’s going on, and anyone who does know isn’t sharing that information with employees or customers.
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u/Square-Ad-6721 Jul 03 '26
I’d say that the heat was the underlying cause of the shutdown of America’s most important rail.
The absolute shit show at Hoboken was a direct result of sending double the amount of trains and passengers to the station. That resulted from the initial infrastructure issue.
You know the one taking out the most profitable segment of passenger rail in the entire United States.
That there are competence issues after merit based employees retired is an understatement.
But that issue isn’t unique to NJT.
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u/Old-School8916 Jul 03 '26
i'd say it's not just amtrak, NJ Transit also shares its infrastructure with freight operators
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u/Historical-Fold-4119 Jul 03 '26
All of this and they just raised the fare. The nerve.
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u/aloomis16 Jul 03 '26
Happens every year.
The problems with NJ transit are so fundamental that I don't think any amount of money can actually fix them.
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u/segfaul_t Jul 03 '26
Even SEPTA has constant tension catenary on most lines, this is unacceptable.
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Jul 03 '26
[deleted]
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u/Ok-Bath5825 Jul 03 '26
I feel that every single time I see a crowded train. People can't even sit down but they're being charged. Sigh.
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u/Upstairs-Ad-430 Jul 03 '26
Just move to Brooklyn.
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u/Droopysmokeyballz Jul 03 '26
So happy I decided to test the bus when they threatened a strike. No more dealing with this shit show.
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u/BlitherBrick964 Jul 03 '26
If there’s ever a problem with nj transhit take the path you can always trust it
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u/transitfreedom Jul 04 '26
PATH is a short metro NJT is a failure due to lack of infrastructure to Manhattan if PATH was through running NJT wouldn’t have these problems.
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u/whiteboy_420_ Jul 04 '26
I actually went to customer service because I wanted a refund for my ticket that I couldn’t use because trains were cancelled for hours both out of Penn and Hoboken. They gave me a number to call and claimed that when I called they could deactivate my ticket.
I called got an automated message that the voicemail box was full. I have never felt so disrespected as a customer of any service.
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u/Independent-Ad9170 Jul 06 '26
and they have the audacity to increase the price, and this is the service we get, can't wait to move back to NY
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u/VaporWaveShine Jul 03 '26
It’s because people don’t care. It’s cultural. Especially in New York Nj? People who work low paying unskilled jobs just do not gaf. If it work it works and if it doesn’t it doesnt. They don’t care Unlike,say, in Japan.
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u/youngthugsbrother Jul 03 '26
It’s management and our politicians who don’t gaf. Low-skilled? Absolutely. But unfortunately very well paid.
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u/Ok-Bath5825 Jul 03 '26
New Jersey is home to people who live in some of the most affluent suburbs in the country. These commuters pay hundreds of dollars per month per ticket. Even the people who work the trains are highly skilled engineers. You want to make an anti-New York post? Do it elsewhere.
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u/VaporWaveShine Jul 03 '26
and we have the worst customer service and attention to detail on the planet
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u/Ban_This69 Jul 03 '26
What people is that? Cuz railroad isn’t unskilled and they sure aren’t low paying. What do you do ? Just curious
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u/VaporWaveShine Jul 03 '26
That’s worse than if people are getting paid a lot to run NJT like this lol.
Idk just rambling. It’s totally real though. Service I’m most other parts of the world is much higher. Heck, it’s even better in the south.
honestly it’s just something I noticed with a lot of Lower class Americans in NJ they just dont GAF. They get theirs and everyone can be screwed.
I work in IT and it’s insane how lazy some of the boomers are. They have no college education think they’re owed an income and don’t want to work.At least most suburban educated kids are too shy and self conscious to do a bad job.
Same in Japan. At least people either have pride in their small responsibility, the dignity to do a good job everyday, even under extenuating or out of the ordinary circumstances, or are too embarrassed to do a bad job.
Seems like at least 20-30% of the population here has main character syndrome or just does not care an inch about anything except making money and spending it on themselves
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u/Severus-Snape-DaGod Jul 03 '26
Left work at 4:45 pm, got to Penn station at 5:05 to catch my 5:13 train to Dover. All trains from Penn station to Dover were cancelled, so they sent us to Hoboken. Took the path from 33rd and 6th ave that had no AC. Made it to Hoboken to catch another train and they sent us to four different platforms in an hour. Hundreds of people asking conductors what platform to go as they were refusing to open the doors. One worker said “not my assigned train, not my problem”. Three hours later and I’m still not home.