Locomotive Engineer Milestone Achieved!
On April 22nd, Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner & NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, and NJTRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett joined a host of others to celebrate the graduation of nine new Locomotive Engineers at Metropark Station on the Northeast Corridor. This graduating class fulfills NJ TRANSIT’s commitment to improve service reliability for rail customers by adding more than 100 new locomotive engineers to our roster since Governor Murphy took office in 2018, with more on the way.
“Our administration immediately set about aggressively recruiting, training and hiring Locomotive Engineers for NJ TRANSIT,” said the Governor. “After nine classes of engineers, we are finally at a full roster of engineers who will serve New Jersey commuters and provide them with the reliable service that they deserve.”
Governor Murphy addressing the graduates.
NJDOT Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti echoed Governor Murphy’s comments, stating, “When Governor Murphy took office, this administration made a commitment to improve customer service and the reliability of NJ TRANSIT. The addition of more than 100 well-trained Locomotive Engineers to the NJ TRANSIT team since 2018 is delivering on that promise.”
Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti salutes the graduates on their hard earned graduation day.
The latest graduating class is a huge milestone, helping to reassure rail customers that they are receiving the service they want and deserve. The nine new engineers had to complete a rigorous, 78-week-long program and passed extensive testing, including a final exam of more than 800 questions.
One of the graduates, Tyler Morris, was given the opportunity to speak on behalf of his graduating class. His speech exemplified the challenges that faced the class and conveyed the importance of being an NJ TRANSIT Locomotive Engineer.
Student Engineer Tyler Morris addresses his fellow graduates.
“It’s nearly impossible to put into words just how challenging the NJ TRANSIT Locomotive Engineer Training program is,” said Tyler. “We had to have dedication, commitment and precision – similar to the military. But you also had to study, work with your instructors, ask questions, take good notes and be a good student – similar to any university. You quickly realize just how great of a responsibility it is to hold the title of Locomotive Engineer.”
This graduating class will bring the total number of new engineers that have come aboard NJ TRANSIT to 103 since 2018, with the total roster now 393 engineers.
“Today marks the culmination of a herculean effort that included record-setting recruiting, training, and hiring of these critical team members,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett. “Ultimately, this translates to a better customer experience by delivering more reliable and predictable rail service for our customers.”
NJTRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett
Mr. Corbett’s remarks emphasized how challenging it is to become a NJ TRANSIT Locomotive Engineer and the critical role they play safely transporting our customers to their destinations.
If you or someone you know is interested in pursuing a career at NJ TRANSIT, visit https://www.njtransit.com/careers.