NJ Transit River LINE transition: upgrades prepare 2026 handover

NJ Transit River LINE transition is moving ahead as the agency wraps up system and equipment upgrades designed to bring operations and maintenance in-house from the current contractor, according to an NJ TRANSIT press release. NJ Transit says the handover is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

To highlight the work underway, NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri appeared with NJ Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo and Sen. Troy Singleton (D-NJ-7) to present the first light-rail vehicle with a renovated passenger compartment and a recently overhauled engine. The upgrades are framed as part of efforts to strengthen service reliability and improve the customer experience, as Mass Transit Magazine reports.

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“As we finalize the process of assuming operation of the River LINE, every upgrade we’re making is focused on improving reliability, communications and the customer experience,” Kolluri said. He tied the River LINE system and equipment upgrades to NJ Transit’s broader modernization work across its bus and rail fleets, while keeping the focus on light-rail customers.

As part of the transition, NJ Transit entered into a contract with Kinkisharyo International LLC for the maintenance of the River LINE fleet vehicles. The agency says it will assume oversight of River LINE service, the maintenance of the right-of-way, and light-rail station maintenance.

NJ Transit says it spent several years working with its contractor, Alstom, to assess River LINE conditions. The agency began shifting the light-rail system to NJ Transit in early September—an approach also reflected in an NJ TRANSIT and Alstom joint statement—and expects the transition to be finished in the first quarter of this year.

Work tied to the NJ Transit River LINE transition

Singleton described the River LINE as an important connector for residents and businesses across South Jersey, adding that investments like these are intended to improve service quality and reliability and support the region’s infrastructure and economic growth.

NJ Transit is working with Kinkisharyo to fully rehabilitate the interior passenger areas of the vehicles. The interior passenger area rehabilitation includes new LED lighting, replaced seating, new flooring, updated signage, and other improvements aimed at enhancing the on-board customer experience. Kinkisharyo is also set to perform top-to-bottom inspections to help keep the light-rail vehicles in a state of good repair.

NJ Transit says it plans to upgrade 14 light-rail vehicles under this program. At the same time, it is developing a request for proposal to replace the entire River LINE fleet.

Real-time arrival information and rider tools

Alongside fleet work, NJ Transit has installed real-time arrival information on River LINE platforms. Customers now have access to live departure times at every station and through the NJ Transit mobile app.

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