NJ Transit Coast Line service remains suspended with drawbridge stuck open

Rail service on NJ Transit’s Coast Line remained suspended on Thursday night as a drawbridge near Perth Amboy could not fully close due to what the agency said were signal issues that emerged in the morning.

Service was on hold in both directions, according to NJ Transit — marking the latest in a recent string of rail mishaps ailing commuters who rely on the agency to get around the New York area.

The issues started around 4 a.m. on the Raritan River Bridge and involved “a signal lock indicator on the bridge preventing it from closing all the way,” NJ Transit spokesperson Kyalo Mulumba said.

“Crews are working as quickly as possible to restore service,” he said, adding that the cause of the problem was under investigation.

Passengers with rail tickets can have them cross-honored by NJ Transit and private carrier buses, the agency said.

NJ Transit is already under scrutiny after multiple rail service interruptions this summer. Last month, a host of wire and connectivity issues caused both NJ Transit and Amtrak to repeatedly halt service and left riders stranded for hours at Manhattan's Penn Station, which the Coast Line serves. The two agencies later vowed to increase inspections of their train equipment.

The commuting headaches come during a season that meteorologists anticipate will have record-breaking high temperatures, which transit and climate experts say are exacerbating transportation meltdowns, such as the Third Avenue Bridge between Manhattan and the Bronx getting stuck in an open position on Monday. That’s why some experts are urging officials to implement more measures, including proactive maintenance, to prevent these incidents.

NJ Transit's Coast Line runs down to Bay Head on the Jersey Shore.