January 19,2016
Elise Young
Mechanical failures most since 2010 as riders pay higher fares
Christie continues budget shift to cover day-to-day expenses
New Jersey Transit commuter trains failed four times more than the U.S. average in 2014, as Governor Chris Christie continued diverting equipment funding to cover day-to-day expenses.
The railroad, the nation’s second-largest by ridership, recorded 213 major mechanical failures, according to figures posted Friday by the National Transit Database. That was 19 percent more than in 2013 and the most in at least four years. Nationally, 24 commuter railroads had an average 52 major failures in 2014.
New Jersey residents, who have one of the country’s longest average commutes, have been forced to pay more for mass transit as delays and breakdowns increase. In the year ended June 30, trains went an average 83,815 miles (135,000 kilometers) between breakdowns, the worst performance in at least four years, according to New Jersey Transit figures.
Only the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, serving greater Boston, had more breakdowns than New Jersey Transit in 2014, with 219 recorded, according to the database.
Another job well done by a no show governor.