NJ Transit receives $83M federal grant for station modernization amid frequent delays
EAST ORANGE, New Jersey (WABC) -- NJ Transit is getting an $83 million grant to improve the historic Brick Church Station in East Orange, New Jersey.
The announcement comes less than a week after downed overhead power lines shut down NJ Transit and Amtrak service out of Penn Station at the height of the evening rush hour.
In fact, it was a trifecta of trouble for NJ Transit after three consecutive days of delays.
Last Tuesday a train got stuck in the tunnel, Wednesday wires were down on the tracks and then there were signal problems on Thursday. They had a ripple effect since NJ Transit and Amtrak share the same rail lines in the northeast corridor.
New York Penn Station looked more like a sardine can as commuters packed the terminal waiting to get home.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sent a harshly-worded letter to Amtrak officials expressing his displeasure. Officials from NJ Transit are meeting with Amtrak leadership to come up with some solutions.
NJ Transit and Amtrak have a good relationship, but commuters have suffered and NJ Transit says a modernization program is needed to replace old wires and signals.
The wires and signals belong to Amtrak, but commuters are less concerned about who owns the system, they just want to see it repaired.
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