Rail service was suspended in both directions for nearly all of Thursday on one line for New Jersey Transit, and it appeared likely trains would remain halted into Friday as well.
NJ Transit said a signal issue was preventing the River Draw Bridge from fully closing, leading to the suspensions between New York City and the Jersey Shore on the North Jersey Coast Line. The lock indicator on the bridge crossing the Raritan River between Perth Amboy and South Amboy was preventing the span from closing properly.
All trains between NY-Penn Station to Long Branch along the line were canceled throughout the day and through Thursday night. It was not clear when service might be restored.
Tickets were being cross-honored by NJ Transit and private carrier buses.
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NJ Transit said crews were working to fix the issue and restore service, but a cause remained under investigation. It was not clear whether the interruption was weather-related, though it was just a few days ago that a bridge in NYC had trouble closing after extreme heat caused steel to expand.
The service suspensions comes amid a summer of frustration for NJ Transit riders who have dealt with service suspensions and interruptions due to heat issues, overhead wires and other train problems. Adding insult to injury, those setbacks came as the transit agency instituted a 15% price hike.