(Bloomberg) -- New Jersey Transit and Amtrak said a months-long investigation found no single cause behind the dozens of infrastructure failures last summer that caused major disruptions for New York commuters.
The multiple reasons behind the breakdowns means that officials can’t “make promises” it won’t happen again, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said at a press conference on Wednesday. He was joined by Stephen Gardner, Amtrak’s chief executive officer, and Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit’s president and CEO.
“I think some people were expecting a single root cause,” said Corbett. “We haven’t identified any proverbial smoking gun as to what caused those series of incidents.”
A combination of busy train traffic, aged infrastructure and decades of deferred upkeep along the Northeast Corridor contributed to breakdowns last summer that resulted in major delays for commuters traveling in and out of Manhattan. The breakdowns drove officials to launch an investigation into the causes and step up plans to better maintain the electrical network that powers regional trains.
As the rail corridor’s primary operator, Amtrak is also responsible for some of the mishaps, with the share of NJ Transit cancellations caused by national railroad operator creeping up every year since the pandemic.
Amtrak recently was awarded $300 million in federal funding to help cover the cost of repairs to its antiquated rail system in New Jersey, a step state officials see as key to avoiding future breakdowns.
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