“As NJ Transit assumes full operation of the River LINE, we felt it was necessary to bring leadership back before the public to share its improvement plan and outline any progress made since our last meeting,” said state Sen. Troy Singleton, who hosted the meeting.
In the crowded Palmyra community center, Mayor Gina Ragomo Tait pleaded with NJ Transit executives to address problems with transients using the town’s River LINE station and their visits to the Wawa across the street at Cinnaminson Avenue and Little Broad Street.
“People do not want to go to the Palmyra station,” she said, adding that transients are asking passengers for money. “They drive to the Riverton or Cinnaminson station instead.”
Police need “to be more visible,” Tait added during a Nov. 13 public meeting hosted by state Sen. Troy Singleton that included NJ Transit officials. The agency will take over the line – which runs through river towns from Trenton to Camden – early next year.
“I take the River LINE every day,” said a Bordentown resident. “I have seen drunk guys fighting and music blasting. I would like to see more enforcement and more supervision on the trains.”
“Thank you for coming here again,” a Cherry Hill resident told the transit officials. “There needs to be more fare enforcement.”
Singleton convened a River LINE public meeting last fall so riders and residents could voice their concerns with public and pedestrian safety. It was just months after the tragic 2024 death of 15-year-old Matthew Dickinson, a Palmyra High School three-sport athlete.
He was headed to soccer practice at the Legion Fields sports complex when he was struck at the Chestnut and Broad streets tracks by a northbound River LINE train headed to the Palmyra station.
“We had two fatal accidents last year,” Singleton said as he opened the meeting, noting the 2024 death of River LINE operator Jessica Haley, who was killed when her train hit a tree on the tracks in Mansfield Township. Twenty-three passengers were injured.
“Last time we had a different perspective,” Singleton noted. “A lot of what the voices right here said last year spurred positive actions. This year, we are seeking a path forward. As NJ Transit assumes full operation of the River LINE, we felt it was necessary to bring leadership back before the public to share its improvement plan and outline any progress made since our last meeting.”
The meeting was open for audience questions. Kris Kolluri, who became the NJ Transit’s president and CEO two months ago, explained that the River LINE is unique because its light rail trains ride on heavy freight tracks.
NJ Transit senior vice president Michael Kilcoyne said that due to that rare structure, “the River LINE fleets need customized parts. The main issue is the APUs (Auxiliary Power Units) that overheat and fail in excessive heat. Getting replacement parts is long and challenging.”
NJ Transit will begin its operation of the River LINE in the first quarter of 2026. A new maintenance contract has been signed with Kinki Sharyo International to repair the train cars. And Kilcoyne said that as the agency takes over, it will provide signage upgrades, signal upgrades, improved lighting at the stations and a new train car celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S.
As for public safety, “we want to be good neighbors and work with local law enforcement,” said NJ Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo.”The local police departments are fantastic, and many times they are there before we get there” (in responding to an incident).
Trucillo added that many of the transients who ride the rails “are people who are homeless and have drug addiction and mental-health issues. We will work with social service agencies to help them.”
Below are bullet points from the presentations made at the meeting.
Reliability
- NJ Transit will take full control of the River LINE in Quarter 1 2026.
- On-time performance in 2025 increased slightly over 2024.
- Delays and cancellations were 22% lower than in 2024.
- NJ Transit purchased and installed 17 new APUs to prevent trains from overheating in the summer.
- The agency performed an assessment of River LINE cars and overhauled two so far with new engines, seats, lighting, signs and more. Plans are to rebuild or replace the entire fleet in the next five to seven years
- $19 million has been invested in infrastructure, new signage, tracks, signals, parts, lighting and more.
Service/customer experience
- NJ Transit completed three station revitalizations.
- It overhauled station audio announcements, installed new signage, maps and timetables.
- Plans are to return to a 15-minute schedule during peak times once equipment and service is fully stabilized
Pedestrian safety
- Two-hundred signs have been installed to prevent walking on tracks, as well as more visible and bilingual signage at road crossings.
- NJ Transit conducted safety programs at local schools and Public Blitz efforts in Burlington City, Trenton and Riverside.
- It installed new fencing along tracks in Palmyra, Burlington City and Riverside
Public safety
- NJ Transit has increased unformed patrols (5,240 direct patrols), plainclothes officers and fare enforcement (61,000 ticket inspections were performed and nearly 1,900 summonses were written).
- The agency collaborated with local police departments, and its Transit Outreach directed homeless people and those with mental-health issues to its cooperating organizations.
To watch the second River LINE public meeting, visit https://youtu.be/CuIVgYWuJaI
Palmyra Mayor Gina Ragomo Tait asks for more NJ Transit police surveillance at the town’s RiverLINE station due to problems with transients asking people for money during a public meeting hosted by state Sen. Troy Singleton on Thursday evening, Nov. 13, in the Community Center.
