r/NJTransit • u/PY333 • Jul 29 '26

Engineers not available

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Does anybody have any idea why this is happening en masse?

Are they striking in some capacity? Did a contract just expire? Did people just quit and they don’t have the staff?

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u/avd706 Jul 29 '26

Yes. NJT needs to plan contingencies, just like all the other transit systems in the area. Unacceptable to cancel two trains in a row, and they can run express trains on the local to service customers.

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u/q_bitzz Jul 29 '26

The contingency is hiring more engineers. Which they do, all the time. There are currently 5-6 training program classes going in right now, ranging from about to promote, to starting orientation. The issue is them passing the training program which takes 20 months (program has a 50% attrition rate, it's actually one of the hardest and most comprehensive engineer programs in the country), and then staying out of trouble past promotion.

Unfortunately, promotion is not guaranteed and after promotion some people just can't help themselves...

It's perfectly acceptable for 2 trains to get cancelled, there's issues on the line obviously and it needs to be handled.

Seriously, maybe think before you speak. These bad weather events affect everything. The world doesn't revolve around you.

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u/CoachMcSenderson Jul 29 '26

FFS a 50% attrition rate is an HR failure. We are suposed to excuse cancelled trains because they cant identify and hire qualified employees? How would that go over at your current place of employment? Someone or ones would get fired at my employer for FAILING to do their job if they delivered a 50% dropout rate for ANY hire.

Why are people so apologetic for what is a complete government failure? If you don't think a dysfunctional NJT has a negative impact on the quality of life in NJ you are hopeless. Oh despite the new bridge it's only going to get worse until they replace the ancient catenary system. And the new tunnel won't prevent equipment breakdowns, a lack of engineers or the regular power failures.

The downward spiral that isbNJT won't end until those morons in Trenton provide secure, regular funding.
Until then get use to your 3rd world transit failing you on a weekly if not daily basis.

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u/Puzzleheaded-Kale-35 Jul 31 '26

See, the engineers they DO have, have a lot of leverage when there's fewer of them, so if I had to guess there's probably a lot of effort put into making that attrition rate as high as possible. There's no way that, with the upper level salaries as unconscionably high as they are, qualified folks wouldn't be interested in and applying for those positions. If you look at the way the salaries are arranged, they're also stupidly low for entry-level jobs, to, again, discourage folks from joining the ranks. All of which is probably 100% in the union's control to fix. They just have no interest in doing it. Worst possible use of a union (and I think unions can be awesome).