NJ Congressman Calls for Rail Riders to Be Reimbursed for Delays

(Bloomberg) -- A US Representative wants New Jersey Transit riders to be reimbursed if they experience long delays due to Amtrak service disruptions after commuters in the New York City region this summer were left stranded on trains and platforms for hours.

Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, is proposing that rail passengers be reimbursed when their trains are delayed or canceled for at least three hours, with Amtrak to repay NJ Transit customers when its system is at fault, the lawmaker announced Monday at a press event in Glen Rock, New Jersey. Called the “All Aboard Act,” the planned legislation is a rail-passenger bill of rights similar to what’s been proposed for airline customers.

Commuters in the New York City region have been plagued by extreme service disruptions as Amtrak’s aging infrastructure cannot withstand the record heat wave that’s hit the area this summer. NJ Transit riders on July 31 were trapped for nearly three hours in the rail tunnel that runs through the Hudson River because of an Amtrak power outage.

“For the sake of Jersey, for the sake of our families, for the sake of our economy, for the sake of the region, it’s time to start solving this problem right now,” Gottheimer said. “No more double talk, no more endless meetings. Let’s just get to work and get this done.”

Amtrak didn’t immediately respond to a phone message and email about Gottheimer’s proposed legislation. A NJ Transit spokesperson didn’t have an immediate comment.

Amtrak and NJ Transit trains must share the Hudson River rail tunnel to get in and out of Manhattan. That creates a choke point when either rail provider experiences power disruptions or infrastructure failures. After much finger pointing, Amtrak and NJ Transit officials in late June said they would work together to resolve the chronic service problems.

Some European countries have initiatives similar to Gottheimer’s plan. Rail passengers on the UK’s National Rail system are reimbursed for delays and cancellations as are customers traveling by train through the European Union.

Gottheimer’s bill would also require Amtrak to speed up its replacement of aging or faulty infrastructure.

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