TRENTON, N.J. — NJ Transit will receive its largest general-fund subsidy in state history as a result of the Fiscal 2020 budget signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy on Sunday. NJ Transit will receive a supplemental allocation of $150 million in general fund support for a total subsidy of $457.5 million.
Sunday’s signing, after three and a half months of negotiations, avoided a state shutdown that would have begun today.
“This budget allows New Jersey to do many good and long-overdue things,” Murphy said, “to continue the progress of turning around NJ Transit, and to continue making up for years of neglect. “
Previous budgets under former Gov. Chris Christie had taken their toll on the second-largest US rail commuter carrier. The new budget will eliminate the diversion of capital funding for operations, enable the agency to continue hiring more engineer trainees, and increase revenues through enhanced ticket enforcement and real estate management
Under President/CEO Kevin Corbett, who has been in charge for a year and a half, the commuter rail line has prioritized PTC deadlines, and reached a vital financial settlement with Amtrak for funding ongoing and future improvements to rail infrastructure along the Northeast Corridor between New York and Trenton.
