NJ Transit Strike: Commuter Chaos Looms as Wage Talks Collapse

New Jersey's commuter rail engineers launched a strike early Friday as contract negotiations with NJ Transit failed to reach an agreement before the midnight deadline set by the union. This marks the first significant strike to impact the third-largest U.S. transit system in over 40 years.

The strike halted train services for hundreds of thousands of daily commuters in New Jersey and New York starting at 12:01 a.m. NJ Transit coordinated a 'safe shutdown,' ensuring trains already on their routes would complete their journeys without new departures.

Efforts to resume negotiations are ongoing, with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri emphasizing the need for fairness and affordability in any final deal. Despite plans for increased bus services, officials acknowledge they can only accommodate around 20% of regular rail customers.

(With inputs from agencies.)