Big Contractor Gets Big Bucks from NJT

Despite the highest fare increases in the history of New Jersey Transit, implemented along with service cuts in May, LTK Engineering of Ambler, Penn. has been awarded a contract that would pay between $92,000 and $96,000 to inspect each of 100 new multi-level railcars that NJT is buying.  There are already 329 similar cars on the property, and rider advocates have questioned the need to pay such high fees, especially when they come amid service cuts.  The Lackawanna Coalition believes that NJT could hire in-house engineers to inspect the cars and restore the off-peak rail fare discount that was eliminated in May, thereby passing the savings back to the riders.