NJ Transit’s River LINE suspension between Florence and Cass Street stations, put in place for a nor’easter, is scheduled to end with regular weekday service at 2 p.m. Monday.

River LINE train between platforms at Waterfront Entertainment Center in Camden
A River LINE train at Waterfront Entertainment Center in Camden. Photo: Phil Richards / CC BY-SA 4.0

NJ Transit halted light rail trains on the section, which runs south from Cass Street in Trenton. Its service advisory cites caution and the latest weather forecast. Substitute buses carry passengers between the two stations, and the advisory dates the suspension to Sunday, Sept. 27, and Monday, Sept. 28.

For the return of regular weekday service, the advisory lists a first southbound departure from Trenton Transit Center to Waterfront Entertainment Center Station at 1:57 p.m. The first northbound train is due out of Waterfront Entertainment Center at 1:58 p.m., bound for Trenton Transit Center.

Service elsewhere on NJ Transit

NJ Transit’s weekend storm advisory described a nor’easter bringing strong winds, heavy rain and flooding along the coast and in low-lying areas. Forecasters expected the coastline to feel it most. The advisory listed the other commuter rail lines, buses, Newark Light Rail and Access Link on regular schedules. On the North Jersey Coast Line, trains in both directions were keeping close to their timetable after trees had earlier come down across the tracks.

The 2024 fallen-tree collision near Florence

The suspended section includes the site of an Oct. 14, 2024 collision in which a southbound River LINE train struck a fallen tree near Florence. Its operator was killed and 23 passengers suffered minor injuries. In its investigation report, the National Transportation Safety Board found that the tree had decayed internally and that the weather the night before had been calm. The board also counted four earlier cases of trains hitting downed trees in the preceding 18 months. Alstom, which operated the line at the time, then had 111 trees removed. The New Jersey Department of Transportation added tree hazards to its quarterly inspections. NJ Transit’s River LINE suspension advisory cites the weather forecast and does not name trees as a cause.

Steps against tree hazards on the River LINE after the October 2024 collision
Date Step Responsible body
Nov. 4, 2024 Corrective action plan filed with the state safety regulator NJ Transit and Alstom, to the New Jersey Department of Transportation
October–December 2024 Three visits by a contracted arborist, the last two surveying mileposts 23.9 to 27.4 Alstom
Feb. 27, 2025 Temporary 30 mph limit near the crash site lifted once 111 trees had been cut down Alstom
May 15, 2025 Corrective action plan formally closed New Jersey Department of Transportation
2025 Tree hazards added to quarterly risk-based checks, with four inspections carried out that year New Jersey Department of Transportation

After the 2024 collision, work on tree hazards centred on an arborist survey, tree removal and a temporary speed limit, followed by regular state inspections. Source: National Transportation Safety Board, Railroad Investigation Report RIR-25-19, issued Nov. 29, 2025.