Deeper Issues Behind This Week's NJ Transit Delays

NJ Transit riders experienced a smoother commute today after a string of issues this week caused extended delays. On Wednesday, for the third day in a row, Amtrak power problems delayed thousands of riders from getting in and out of New York and forced the agency to apologize to riders.

The delays came just days after NJ Transit approved a fare increase for bus and rail riders by about 9 percent starting in October.

In light of the snafus, the rail agency is now pressing Amtrak to make long-term fixes to its rail infrastructure, which NJ Transit pays $100 million per year to use.

"The problem is Amtrak is itself reliant upon federal money and Congress has steadfastly refused to increase its budget even as the northeast corridor is deteriorating," said WNYC's Kate Hinds. "What you saw this week and will see again is the consequence of years of underinvestment in the rail system, but $100 million is really just a drop in the bucket in terms of what Amtrak needs to do to update power and signals."

In a statement, Amtrak called the delays unacceptable and said it would work with its various transportation partners to resolve the issues.