MAIN/BERGEN COUNTY LINES RAIL CUSTOMERS TO GAIN 24-HOUR ACCESS TO TRAIN TICKETS

38 Ticket-Vending Machines Will Add Convenience

NEWARK, NJ, JULY 25, 2003 – NJ TRANSIT customers will soon be able to purchase their rail tickets around the clock at stations along the Main and Bergen County lines.

Beginning Monday, July 28, NJ TRANSIT will phase in 38 new ticket-vending machines (TVM) at all 21 locations along the two rail lines. All TVMs will be operational by Friday, August 1.

“Adding ticket-vending machines to more rail lines means more convenience and more value for our customers,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director George D. Warrington. “The Corporation continues to focus its efforts around the customer experience, and this is an example of that focus.”

In response to customer requests, the new TVMs will not require patrons to relinquish their credit or debit card when purchasing tickets. Customers simply insert the card, pull it out and complete the transaction. The new TVMs will be easier to read and accept bills faster compared to older TVMs, making transactions quicker for customers purchasing with cash.

Trips formerly requiring multiple tickets to travel or transfer through connecting terminals will be replaced by a single ticket to coincide with the Secaucus transfer station opening this fall for weekend service and daily service toward the end of the year. The new ticket will list transfers to the ultimate destination and will be punched by a conductor. For example, customers traveling from Garfield to New York will be issued a single ticket.

The new-look tickets are credit card-sized, including the new one-way and round-trip tickets, monthly passes and weekly passes. The tickets have a magnetic stripe on the back so customers can swipe them through turnstiles at Secaucus. If you purchase a ticket prior to the installation of the new ticket machines, customers will receive an “old style” ticket. Both new and old style tickets are valid for transportation.

Customers boarding without tickets will be charged a $5 surcharge if TVMs are available, or the ticket office at their boarding station is open. To allow customers time to become familiar with the new TVMs, the surcharge penalty will be waived until October 1 for the Main and Bergen County lines, allowing customers time to become familiar with the new TVMs.

For further information, riders in North Jersey can call NJ TRANSIT between 6 a.m. and midnight at 1-800-772-2222 or at 973-762-5100 from out of state. For persons with hearing impairments, the number is 1-800-772-2287. Information is also available on the Internet at www.njtransit.com.

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing Bus, rail and light rail services for 752,600 daily trips on 238 bus routes, two light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 161 rail stations, 28 light rail stations and more than 17,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.

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