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The basics:

• NJ Transit and engineers union reach tentative deal May 18 to end strike
• Full weekday rail service resumes May 20 after inspections
• Agreement includes wage hikes without fare increases
• Contract awaits union ratification and NJ Transit board vote

Updated at 5:32 p.m. May 19, 2025: The trains will run once again in New Jersey Tuesday morning.

As NJBIZ reported, a tentative agreement was reached Sunday evening between NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) to end the strike, which began May 16, just after midnight.

Officials noted that nearly 24 hours was needed following the agreement to inspect and prepare tracks, rail cars and other infrastructure before full scheduled service can return. That process has been playing out throughout Sunday evening and Monday – all toward a return to normal weekday train service May 20.

NJ Transit’s contingency plan remained in effect for Monday, including supplemental bus service from several Park & Ride sites and more.

“I promise you – we are now going to work from tonight until Tuesday morning to get the rails operational,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri during a May 18 press conference announcing the agreement and end of the strike. “So, we can get everybody back to a sense of normalcy.”

NJ Transit says that full weekday service will commence with the first scheduled train on each line May 20. The full breakdown and details can be found here.

Continue reading the original story below.

Posted 7:21 p.m. May 18, 2025: NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers reached a tentative agreement to end a strike that began Friday — the first at NJ Transit in 42 years.

As NJBIZ has reported, negotiations between the two sides had stalemated – resulting in the strike. But discussions continued over the weekend, leading to the deal reached Sunday to end the impasse.

No particulars on the terms have been released as of this writing.

“While I won’t get into the exact details of the deal reached, I will say that the only real issue was wages and we were able to reach an agreement that boost hourly pay beyond the proposal rejected by our members last month and beyond where we were when NJ Transit’s managers walked away from the table Thursday,” said BLET General Chairman at NJ Transit, Tom Haas. “We also were able to show management ways to boost engineers’ wages that will help NJT with retention and recruitment – without causing any significant budget issue or requiring a fare increase.”

Service is set to resume Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy said. The agency noted in a social media post that “it takes approximately 24 hours to inspect and prepare the infrastructure before returning to full scheduled service.”

The national union will conduct a ratification vote for the the 450 BLET members eligible to vote. The agreement also requires a vote by the NJ Transit board at its next scheduled meeting, June 11.

More details revealed

Sunday evening, the governor and NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri held a press conference in Newark to announce more information.

Terms were not immediately disclosed, but some key points covered at the announcement include:

• Contingency plan remains in effect for Monday – including bus service from the four regional Park & Ride lots
  • NJ Transit will continue to deploy customer ambassadors at stations and Park & Ride locations to assist customers
• Regular weekday train service will resume May 20 since it takes 24 hours to inspect and prepare tracks, rail cars and other infrastructure before the full service schedule can resume, as previously noted
  • NJ Transit rail operations have immediately begun those efforts
• Officials say the contract provisions are not being released to allow for the ratification process to occur

“I am pleased to announce that we have reached a fair and fiscally responsible contract settlement that provides a generous wage increase for BLET members while saving taxpayers and customers the burden of fare increases,” said Murphy. “This agreement reflects the commitment of both the BLET and NJ Transit to remain at the table engaging in productive conversations – and I commend them both. Most importantly, it ensures the resumption of rail service for the 100,000 people who depend on our rail system on a daily basis.”

“I want to thank our customers for their understanding and apologize for any inconvenience during this time; however, it was important to me to reach a deal that didn’t require a significant fare increase,” said Kolluri. “I appreciate that BLET leadership’s collaboration at the bargaining table and continuing to negotiate in good faith to get to an agreement. I also want to recognize the thousands of NJ Transit employees who stepped up during this time to support our customers and minimize the impacts to the greatest extent possible.”

Governor Murphy and NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri to Make an Announcement https://t.co/Iw3F1lE0wh

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) May 18, 2025

‘A very good outcome’

“To offer the understatement of the year, this is a very good outcome – but it was also one that was far from inevitable,” said Murphy as he opened his press conference, crediting with Kolluri and the team for getting to this tentative agreement.

“The deal, as the governor correctly said, was fair and fiscally responsible,” said Kolluri. “I think I’ve said it over a thousand times now – that we have always thought just that, that it was a deal that had to be both, not just one.”

“This is a good result for labor. It’s a good result for NJ Transit. It’s a good result for our commuters and taxpayers,” said Murphy.

In a statement, BLET National President Mark Wallace said, “Our members at NJ Transit had the full support of our national union, as well as the Teamsters. We also appreciated the outpouring of support we received from NJ Transit passengers and the labor community who know that NJ Transit’s locomotive engineers keep the trains moving – and went years without a raise.”

Reaction from around NJ

Reaction from business and political leaders is pouring in from around the state.

“This is a major victory for New Jersey,” said Senate President Nick Scutari, D-22nd District. “Service is being restored, and with it, the stability and reliability that our residents rightfully expect. We cannot afford disruptions like this, and I am glad decisive action was taken to resolve it.”

“I’m relieved to see NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have come to an agreement and that service is resuming for the thousands of New Jerseyans who rely on it every day,” said Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-19th District. “This agreement is a welcome step forward—one that will restore connections between workers and jobs, students and classrooms, patients and care.”

In a statement following the tentative agreement, Senate Republican Leader Anthony Bucco, R-25th District, said he is encouraged to see the deal touted as fair for NJ Transit employees, commuters and taxpayers – but stressed that the devil is in the details.

“I’m glad that, after five years, the parties have finally reached an agreement that puts our transit riders first. As I said on Friday, New Jersey commuters deserve a safe, reliable transportation system that supports their daily responsibilities,” said Bucco. “As I’ve said before, any agreement must protect commuters from additional fare hikes and shield businesses from higher taxes. I’ll be reviewing the terms of the deal closely to ensure it lives up to those standards.”

New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) President and CEO Michele Siekerka said, “We are pleased to learn that the parties have reached a deal that appears to balance the needs of all transit stakeholders – the workforce, the riders, and the taxpayers. We await more details but are thankful to the parties for working diligently to reach a responsible resolution. We look forward to getting the trains back up and running.”

Editor’s note: This story was originally updated at 7:47 p.m. EST May 18, 2025, to note that Gov. Phil Murphy said NJ Transit service would resume Tuesday. The story was further updated at 8:40 p.m. the same evening to include more information from the governor, NJ Transit, the engineers union and state leaders. At 11:26 a.m. May 19, 2025, the story was updated with a quote from Senate Republican Leader Anthony Bucco.

Please stay with NJBIZ for the very latest on this developing story.