121 River Line Layoffs Ahead Of NJ Transit's Takeover Of South Jersey Rail

CAMDEN, NJ — The longtime River Line operator will lay off more than 100 employees as NJ Transit takes control of the issue-riddled light rail.

The River Line is part of NJ Transit's transportation network. But since it opened in 2004, it has been operated by Alstom Transportation Inc., an international company specializing in rail services.

Last week, NJ Transit and Alstom announced that the former will take full control of the River Line by the end of the year.

• Read more: State To Take Full Control Of South Jersey Rail Service After Years Of Issues

As a result, Alstom will lay off 121 employees affiliated with the River Line, which links Camden and Trenton. The layoffs are effective Dec. 12, according to public documents.

Most of the impacted employees are based in Camden. But a few work out of Trenton and Burlington — a midway point with multiple River Line stations.

"Alstom is grateful to our employees at the River LINE site and are working to ensure they have access to opportunities at other Alstom sites or with NJ TRANSIT," a company spokesperson told Patch via email. "We remain committed to supporting our workforce during this transition."

Alstom, headquartered in France, manufactures and operates railway systems throughout the world.

NJ Transit and Alstom continue to be close collaborators. In fact, NJ Transit announced Tuesday that it is purchasing 200 new multilevel rail cars from Alstom as part of the state agency's plan to modernize its system in the coming years.

But in recent years, the River Line has been subject to increasing complaints of delays and cancelations. So NJ Transit will take control of the service by the end of this year.

The decision was mutual, according to a joint statement from both entities.

"Alstom remains committed to ensuring a safe and efficient transition," the statement said, "while continuing its support of NJ TRANSIT’s success through other ongoing projects—including the manufacturing and delivery of hundreds of new multilevel commuter rail cars, the first of which are expected to arrive beginning in the middle of next year."

The River Line travels along New Jersey's riverside communities and is the only railway serving Burlington County's coastal towns.