By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on January 09, 2017 at 12:55 PM, updated January 09, 2017 at 5:19 PM
Unions representing locomotive engineers filed a lawsuit to overturn a state law that prohibits NJ Transit engineers from operating trains if their motor vehicle driver’s license is suspended.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court Trenton on Monday by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD). Union officials contend that the state law, which was signed by Gov. Chris Christie in August, conflicts with federal regulations, is punitive and doesn’t improve safety.
The bill was proposed in May after news reports of an NJ Transit locomotive engineer who was still operating trains while his driver’s license was suspended for 10 years.
