NJ Transit ticketing ‘pilot’ causing chaos at Penn Station
A new NJ Transit ticket policy has descended into madness at Penn Station , creating a chaotic rush hour bottleneck at the stairs to the platform where riders now have to present their tickets one-by-one, The Post has learned.
shows a maddening mosh pit of riders crowding a single NJ Transit worker scanning tickets at the entrance to a platform — instead of on the train — as part of a anti-fare evasion strategy launched Oct. 9 by the transit service.“This approach helps ensure appropriate fare collection, particularly during peak weekday travel when ridership is highest,” an NJ Transit rep told The Post. “Safety remains our highest priority, and the pilot has been designed and implemented with that focus in mind,” the rep said when asked about the crowding.Police reveal it's a 'possibility' Nancy Guthrie was targeted — still have no suspects The pilot was apparently inspired by commuter complaints about rush hour trains becoming too crowded for conductors to pass through and collect tickets,“This approach helps ensure appropriate fare collection, particularly during peak weekday travel when ridership is highest,” an NJ Transit rep told The Post.Though some riders, like 27-year-old Swati Parel, argue the issue has only moved the crowding from the train to the platform. “Recently, it’s been very hectic trying to catch a train, there’s also been a lot of cancellations,” Parel said, adding they have “missed the train several times” due to the ticketing trouble. The test comes just months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in New Jersey in June, when an estimated 1.2 million visitors will flood the transit system between New York and New Jersey. “I think it’s gonna get much worse,” Parel added. “I know that for sure, just because everybody’s trying to get to a place.” “It’s insane to walk down the stairs,” NJ Transit rider Annora Hamilton quipped. “It’s just holding everyone up. It just makes it harder at rush hour.” “This policy has made it harder to get home to my kids,” fumed rider Judy Ramirez, 46, while 28-year-old Mansfield Maurice Warren Jr., 28, said the crowding has “definitely gotten a lot worse” since the new policy was implemented:The pilot was apparently inspired by commuter complaints about rush hour trains becoming too crowded for conductors to pass through. “I saw one of the train conductors not really have any air to breathe, because everybody was fighting to get to the train,” he said. “People were screaming and yelling, ‘why aren’t you opening the door? Let us through.'” The new pilot comes after a month plagued with delays for NJ Transit, including a particularly frustrating Friday afternoon when three trains became disabled in or near the tunnels under the Hudson River.The service also plans to hike its fares 3 percent annually after a double-digit fare increase in 2024. The first 3 percent hike went into effect last summer.NJ Transit reps defended the new fare-evasion ticketing policy, arguing that LIRR works have been using the measure at Penn Station before the Garden State service began its fare-evasion crackdown.“People hate it,” griped one NJ Transit employee, who declined to provide his name to The Post. “It causes a bottleneck. People want to get on the train and get a seat and then give their tickets.” Nancy Guthrie imposter ransom note sender identified and chargedTMZ reveals threat made in Savannah Guthrie’s mom's ‘ransom note’ if first deadline isn’t met – and dire warning about secondThe best Valentine’s Day gifts for him or her in 2026, inspired by celebritiesTravis Kelce gives hilarious preview of what to expect at Taylor Swift wedding receptionSee All Anchor who saw Nancy Guthrie ransom note said it came via email — and describes moment she knew it ‘might not be hoax’"This approach helps ensure appropriate fare collection, particularly during peak weekday travel when ridership is highest," an NJ Transit rep told The Post.The pilot was apparently inspired by commuter complaints about rush hour trains becoming too crowded for conductors to pass through.
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