Governor Phil Murphy and NJ Transit president & CEO Kris Kolluri today announced a tentative agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen (BLET), ending a three-day rail stoppage.
Regular weekday train service will resume with the start of the service day on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, as it takes approximately 24 hours to inspect and prepare tracks, rail cars and other infrastructure before returning to full scheduled service.
Contingency plans, including bus service from the four regional Park & Rides, will be in place and operating on Monday, May 19, 2025. NJ Transit will continue to deploy customer ambassadors at stations and Park & Ride locations to assist customers as train service restarts.
“I am pleased to announce that we have reached a fair and fiscally responsible contract settlement that provides a generous wage increase for BLET members while saving taxpayers and customers the burden of fare increases,” said Governor Murphy. “This agreement reflects the commitment of both the BLET and NJ Transit to remain at the table engaging in productive conversations, and I commend them both. Most importantly, it ensures the resumption of rail service for the 100,000 people who depend on our rail system on a daily basis.”
“I am pleased to join Governor Murphy to announce that we have reached a mutually acceptable agreement that is both fair for our locomotive engineers and affordable for our riders and New Jersey taxpayers. I want to thank our customers for their understanding and apologize for any inconvenience during this time, however, it was important to me to reach a deal that didn’t require a significant fare increase,” said NJ Transit president & CEO Kris Kolluri. “I appreciate the BLET leadership’s collaboration at the bargaining table and continuing to negotiate in good faith to get to an agreement. I also want to recognize the thousands of NJ Transit employees who stepped up during this time to support our customers and minimize the impacts to the greatest extent possible.”
“I commend both sides for remaining at the bargaining table to solidify an agreement that not only benefits our hardworking locomotive engineers but also remains a fiscally prudent contract,” said NJDOT Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chairman Fran O’Connor. “We have seen just how critical our rail system is to our larger transportation network, and I am pleased that trains will be moving again shortly.”
“It was definitely a feeling of success that we were able to come to terms on something that I think we both can accept,” said BLET General Chairman Tom Haas.
The national president of BLET, Mark Wallace, noted the union had “the full support of our national union as well as the Teamsters. We also appreciated the outpouring of support we received from NJ Transit passengers and the labor community who know that NJ Transit’s locomotive engineers keep the trains moving and went years without a raise.
“This should be a lesson for other railroad disputes. Nothing would have been gained by kicking the can down the road. Allowing strikes to happen encourages settlement rather than stonewalling.”
The tentative agreement must still be ratified by the members of the BLET, and approved by the NJ Transit Board of Directors. Details of the contract provisions are not able to be released at this time to allow for the ratification process to occur. With a tentative agreement reached, the BLET has agreed to halt the strike and return to work in order for service to resume on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Rail cars and infrastructure must undergo safety inspections, movable bridges that were open must be closed into place and equipment must be at the proper locations to resume. NJ Transit Rail Operations has immediately begun those efforts and is advancing them as quickly and safely as possible.
While those efforts continue, NJ Transit’s contingency plans will remain in effect including the four Park & Ride locations.
