McKeon Statement on NJ Transit Being Fined for Missing Installation Deadline for Speed Control System

(TRENTON) – Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex/Morris) on Friday issued the following statement in response to news that NJ Transit has been fined by the Federal Railroad Administration for failing to meet a deadline for installing an automatic speed control system:

“Of course, it is no surprise that New Jersey Transit received a fine by the Federal Railroad Administration for missing another deadline for installing an automatic speed control system.

“This just confirms the testimony received by the joint legislative committee investigating NJ Transit.  Only 7 percent of the hardware required by law was installed by September 30th. In comparison, both Amtrak and PATH had 96 percent and 81 percent, respectively installed on their trains by the same deadline.

“While NJ Transit claims they were doing everything within their power to meet the deadline, to me, their effort was woefully inadequate.  The agency’s previous leadership was an abomination. This requirement is mandated to protect the safety of thousands of commuters that travel by rail every day; it’s a disgrace and abject failure that NJ Transit is not even remotely close to our regional counterparts installation progress.

“Thankfully under the new leadership of Governor Phil Murphy and Executive Director Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit will finally be able to make significant progress in the effort to install the automatic speed control system.”