Commuters on the Morris and Essex and Gladstone Branch lines faced delays of up to 45 minutes after a disabled train disrupted service near Short Hills.
Short Hills, NJ – NJ Transit rail service returned to normal Tuesday morning after a disabled train near Short Hills caused significant delays for commuters traveling on the Morris and Essex and Gladstone Branch lines.
The disruption began during the overnight and early morning hours when a train became disabled near the Essex County station, prompting NJ Transit to issue service advisories warning riders of delays in both directions.
Key Points
• A disabled train near Short Hills caused delays on two NJ Transit rail lines.
• Delays reached as much as 45 minutes before gradually improving.
• Service has since returned to operating on or near schedule.
NJ Transit initially reported delays of up to 45 minutes affecting both the Morris and Essex Line and the Gladstone Branch. Riders were advised to seek alternate travel options while crews worked to address the issue.
Several hours later, the transit agency updated customers that delays had improved but remained at up to 30 minutes in both directions.
Service Gradually Improves
As repair and recovery efforts continued, train operations slowly returned to normal throughout the morning.
By mid-morning, NJ Transit announced that rail service on both lines was operating on or close to schedule, signaling the end of the disruption.
The agency did not immediately provide additional details regarding the cause of the disabled train or how many trains were affected.
Busy Corridor Affected
The Morris and Essex Line and Gladstone Branch serve thousands of daily riders traveling between suburban communities in Morris, Essex and Somerset counties and destinations including Newark and New York City.
Even relatively short service disruptions can create ripple effects throughout the system during peak travel periods.
NJ Transit encouraged customers to monitor service alerts and travel advisories for the latest information regarding rail operations.