Officials blame unexcused absences as cancellations continue on NJ Transit

A day after Gov. Phil Murphy met with New Jersey Transit officials, more cancellations littered the public transportation system's trains Friday.
NJ Transit officials are continuing to blame unexcused absences for many of the cancellations. They also say they are making federal required safety improvements that are tying up equipment and crews.
The transportation agency currently has 330 engineers and needs 291 to run the whole system in a day. They say when engineers call out, delays and cancellations can happen.
It also takes a long time to train new engineers, according to NJ Transit officials.
Gov. Murphy blamed the previous administration for lack of investment and training for new engineers.
In the last two weeks, dozens of trains have been canceled. Overcrowded conditions also became a problem on running trains that had to pick up extra commuters.