NJ: ‘Summer of hell’ Amtrak, NJ Transit problems inspire bills to give commuters refunds

Two New Jersey Congressmen introduced a bill that would give rail commuters the same rights to refunds that air travelers get for significantly delayed or canceled flights.

U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-5th) and Tom Kean Jr. (R-7th), introduced the “All Aboard Act” on Jan. 28.

The “All Aboard Act” has a national scope, applying to any Amtrak line that is used by a commuter railroad.

It would require Amtrak to refund rail passengers fare when service was canceled or delayed due to an Amtrak problem.

The bill was inspired by last year’s “Summer of Hell” problems that plagued NJ Transit and Amtrak riders due to infrastructure problems on the Northeast Corridor line and NJ Transit rail equipment issues.

Amtrak owns the Northeast Corridor line and NJ Transit pays rent to operate trains on it and for some maintenance.

“During the ‘Summers of Hell,’ Jersey commuters and families were stuck for hours on broken down trains, facing endless delays,“ said Tony Wen, a Gottheimer spokesperson.

“Josh is tackling these problems head on. Just like he’s done with so many other problems, he is committed to fixing our transit systems and making life easier for Jersey families,” he said.

Both Gottheimer and Kean have significant numbers of constituents in their districts who are NJ Transit commuters. Many NJ Transit rail lines connect to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor to reach New York Penn Station.

Both are also members of the house bipartisan “problem solvers” caucus.

In addition to this bill, Kean has proposed other federal legislation to get one seat riders for commuters, such as Raritan Valley Line passengers who have to change trains in Newark to reach New York Penn Station.

That bill, which would require an overall federal study of eliminating transfers for rail commuters with a focus on the Raritan Valley Line, was passed by the House in December 2023.

A spokesperson for Kean couldn’t be reached for comment.

Gottheimer announced the “All Aboard Act” idea in August on the heels of a July 31 incident where a train load of NJ Transit commuters were stuck in a tunnel outside New York Penn Station until they could be rescued.

The bill required crafting and meetings with stakeholders, including Gottheimer speaking to commuters returning to work after Labor Day at the Fair Lawn platform in September.

“If you want a bill to become law, you have to get it right, and that’s especially the case with the ‘All Aboard Act, ‘” Wen said. “It can take time to draft and negotiate the technical details, but the ultimate outcome will be worth it.”

He also said in September he was looking for co-sponsors.

Summertime issues with the system started on May 23 when a downed power wire at a key junction in Kearny brought NJ Transit and Amtrak trains to a halt on the busy Northeast Corridor, stranding thousands of commuters and suspending service for hours.

Despite establishing an infrastructure response committee, problems continued into June and July. Triple-digit heat hobbled both Amtrak’s elderly overhead wire infrastructure and NJ Transit’s aging trains, prompting the congressional delegation, led by Frank Pallone (D-6th) and Mikie Sherill (D-11th) to write two letters to Amtrak and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about the NEC problems.

Gov. Phil Murphy brought NJ Transit and Amtrak officials together on June 27 to announce a joint partnership to step up inspections of Northeast Corridor infrastructure and NJ Transit trains to repair detected problems and prevent future incidents.

Murphy ordered a weeklong “fare holiday” during the last week of August as a thank you to riders for the problems they endured. That holiday cost NJ Transit $20 million in revenue.

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