The River Line, South Jersey’s only light rail line, will be directly run by NJ Transit which announced Wednesday it was taking over operations from contractor Alstom.

“This transition will enable NJ Transit to be best positioned to shape and implement the next steps that will strengthen and enhance the future of the service,” officials said.

A ranking state lawmaker, who criticized River Line problems in past years, said the announcement was a welcome one, but warned he would hold the agency accountable for improvements.

In 2023, multiple problems with rail equipment resulted in canceled trains and temporary service reductions on the River Line led to criticism from State Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, the senate majority caucus chair.

“Today’s announcement is a welcome one if it means that we will see tangible progress in modernizing service, making needed investments, implementing real-time updates, enhancing safety measures, and improving the rider experience,” Singleton said in a statement.

The 34-mile light rail line links Camden and Trenton with 10 other municipalities in Mercer, Burlington and Camden counties. The River Line was originally operated by a consortium that included Bombardier, which was bought by Alstom.

While the statement had an upbeat, conciliatory tone, NJ Transit’s own data reporting reflected dissatisfaction with River Line operations.

In July, the line had the highest number of canceled trains, 15, out of all NJ Transit’s three light rail lines.

The majority of light rail rider feedback in July was about the River Line. NJ Transit officials blamed it “largely due to the contractor’s inability to maintain a sufficient level of available equipment throughout the course of the month.”

River Line trains rolled the least mileage between breakdowns of the three light rail lines. River Line trains averaged less than 5,000 miles in July. It also had the worst on-time light rail performance at 82% of trains arriving on schedule, NJ Transit data said.

Singleton said his office has heard complaints for years from “frustrated commuters” about the lack of communication, poor conditions, and unreliable service.

“Riders in Burlington County and beyond have had to endure inconvenient cancellations and delays, little to no communication, dirty and unkempt stations and trains, and more,” he said.

In August 2023, problems with trains prompted a reduction in the frequency of weekday service from trains every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes during the morning and afternoon commuter rush periods. The River Line’s regular schedule resumed in October 2023.

That was due to problems with aging trains including engine and heating, ventilation and air conditioning issues, resulting in canceled trains and increased delays.

A $700,000 program to rebuild River Line rail car diesel engines that was announced in 2020 had resulted in only one of 18 engines being completed as of Oct. 2023.

And on Oct. 14, 2024, the crash of a Camden-bound train into a tree trunk on the tracks near Florence killed the operator and injured 23 of the 41 people aboard.

In August 2024, a 15-year-old boy was struck by a northbound train while apparently crossing the tracks in Palmyra.

Singleton called for hearings in July 2024 because of complaints from constituents. At a hearing in October 2024, NJ Transit’s CEO told the crowd: “We have fallen short.”

“Efficiency, reliability, and safety aren’t luxuries, they are the foundation of a transit system,” Singleton said. “I will continue to hold NJ Transit accountable to those standards.”

The River Line was the first light rail system in the U.S. that use diesel powered trains when it started operation in 2004; now there are nine. NJ Transit’s other two light rail systems are electric powered.

The 20 Swiss-built Stadler train sets were custom built for River Line operation which officials said has led to problems getting parts.

Original Article