Number of NJ Transit VT Incidents Climbs by 12%

In 2024, NJ Transit experienced 2,725 elevator and escalator incidents at train stations, representing an increase of 12.3% over 2023, when there were 2,426 incidents, Asbury Park Press reports. Incidents include such things as freeing entrapped passengers and shutting down a unit for service, maintenance or cleaning. The source observes that the transit system has 84 elevators at its rail stations, including 23 at its light rail stations. When these units are out of service, it creates headaches for physically handicapped people. NJ Transit offers options for riders in such situations, such as advising them to take another train to a further stop that has a working elevator, but passengers are often unaware of these options. Some pieces of equipment have been out of service for months or years, including an escalator that has been out since September 2021 and another that has been out since July 2024. These units, according to NJ Transit, are “nearly 30 years old” and need to be replaced. Bids for the escalator replacement contracts are due on March 12. “Access to the system for all customers continues to be a top priority,” NJ Transit stated.