On Friday, New Jersey Transit train engineers started a strike, forcing around 350,000 commuters in New Jersey and New York City to find alternative ways to travel or to consider not travelling at all.

The strike began after Thursday's negotiations failed to reach an agreement. This is the first public transport strike in the state for over 40 years, happening a month after union members strongly disagreed with a proposed work contract.

"Tom Haas, head of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said they gave them their final offer, but it was turned down, and negotiations ended with two hours remaining."

NJ Transit's CEO, Kris Kolluri, characterised the situation as a "break in discussions."

He stated on Thursday, during a press conference with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, that he fully intends to continue these discussions as soon as he can. He added that he would be willing to meet again that night or the following morning if they were willing, because he believes the problem can be solved quickly. The real question, he said, is whether they are truly ready to find a solution.

Murphy stated that it was essential to "achieve a final agreement that is just for employees while also being affordable for New Jersey commuters and taxpayers."

The union stated the announcement was made after 15 hours of continuous negotiations. They anticipate strike action will begin at 4 a.m. on Friday.

NJ Transit, one of the biggest public transport services in the US, runs buses and trains in New Jersey, with about a million journeys each weekday, including trips to New York City. The strike has stopped all NJ Transit trains, which are a popular way for people to travel between New York City's Penn Station and towns in northern New Jersey, as well as Newark airport, which has also had its own problems with delays lately.

Recently, the agency shared backup plans, stating they would increase bus services. However, they cautioned passengers that these buses would only slightly improve capacity on existing New York commuter routes near train stations and would begin on Monday. The agency will also hire private companies to run buses from main park-and-ride areas during busy weekday hours.

The agency warned that buses could carry far fewer passengers – only around 20% of the usual train users. Therefore, they advised those able to work remotely to do so if a strike happened.

The mere possibility of it had already led to travel problems, and with the situation unclear, the transport authority stopped train and bus services for Shakira's concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Thursday and Friday.

The groups involved met with a national mediation service in Washington on Monday to talk about the issue. A mediator also attended Thursday's discussions. Kolluri said on Thursday evening that the mediation service has proposed a meeting on Sunday morning to continue discussions.

The main difficulty in talks between the agency and the train drivers' union is wages, as the union wants its members' pay to match that of similar railway workers in the region. Currently, union members earn around $113,000 annually, and they suggest an agreement could be made if agency head Kris Kolluri approved an average yearly salary of $170,000.

However, NJ Transit's management challenges the union's figures, stating that their engineers earn an average of $135,000 per year, and top earners make over $200,000.

Kolluri and Murphy stated on Thursday that the main issue isn't just agreeing on higher wages. It's about reaching an agreement that doesn't lead other unions to ask for the same, which could cause financial problems for NJ Transit.

Congress could step in to stop the strike and make the union agree to a deal. However, unlike in 2022, when they prevented a national railway strike, lawmakers don't seem ready to do that now.

The union at NJ Transit has experienced a consistent decline in members, as many are leaving for higher-paying jobs with other railway companies. The number of engineers at NJ Transit has decreased from 500 to around 450 in recent months.