NJ Transit Weighs Disciplinary Actions Over Canceled Trains

A top New Jersey Transit official tells state lawmakers the agency is considering possible disciplinary action after dozens of trains had to be canceled this week because of a manpower shortage.

NJ Transit Executive Director Steve Santoro said Wednesday at a joint Assembly-Senate hearing on track work at New York’s Penn Station that there were 40 cancellations combined Sunday and Monday.

It’s unclear whether all cancellations stemmed from engineers’ labor contract rights that allow them to take two days to report for work when schedule changes are made.

Santoro says disciplinary action is governed by the labor contract.

The hearing came amid the second week of extensive repairs at the nation’s busiest rail station.

Lawmakers and an Amtrak official said the first week of work went better than expected.