Service Disruption Hits NJ Transit Rail Network After Fire at Kearny Operations Facility
A fire at the NJ Transit Rail Operations Center in Kearny led to a major disruption across the agency’s rail network on Sunday afternoon, temporarily suspending service on most of its commuter rail lines and affecting thousands of passengers across New Jersey.
According to official information shared by NJ Transit, the fire broke out at the roof area of the Rail Operations Center, which is located within the Meadowlands Maintenance Complex in Kearny. This facility plays a key role in managing and controlling rail traffic across the state’s commuter rail system.
As a result of the incident, train service was suspended on 10 out of NJ Transit’s 11 rail lines in both directions. The affected lines included the North Jersey Coast Line, Raritan Valley Line, Atlantic City Line, Morris & Essex Line, Montclair-Boonton Line, Gladstone Branch, Main Line, Bergen County Line, Port Jervis Line, and Pascack Valley Line.
NJ Transit confirmed that the suspension was put in place as a safety measure while emergency teams responded to the fire and ensured that it was safe for dispatchers to return and resume normal operations. Service remained halted for approximately one hour before being gradually restored.
A spokesperson for NJ Transit explained that the disruption was necessary to ensure the safety of both staff and passengers while the situation was being assessed and controlled. Rail operations resumed around 1:15 p.m., and trains began moving again across the affected network shortly afterward.
The Northeast Corridor line, which operates under Amtrak control, was not impacted by the fire and continued normal operations during the incident. Officials noted that this line operates independently from the NJ Transit Rail Operations Center.
This incident comes shortly after another fire-related disruption earlier in the week, when an early morning fire near the Penn Station New York and Hudson River rail tunnels caused service delays and reduced rail capacity during the Friday evening commute and through the weekend. Repair work on that tunnel system continued in the following days with efforts focused on restoring full service.
While service has now been restored across most of the network, NJ Transit has not reported any long-term operational impact from Sunday’s fire. Investigations and assessments are expected to continue to determine the exact cause of the roof fire and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Sources
NJ Transit official service alerts and spokesperson statements
NJ Transit Rail Operations Center incident updates
Agency operational disruption reports and commuter rail service notices
