NJ Transit's advisory provided riders with details on contingency plans that would take effect if engineers walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. EDT Friday.

NJ Transit trains could stop running at 12:01 a.m. Friday if locomotive engineers go on strike over the salary increase they want​.

As late as Wednesday night, the two sides were expressing some optimism for a settlement. Since then, radio silence.

NJ Transit riders are facing massive service disruptions as the system barrels like a runaway train toward Thursday’s midnight deadline to avoid its first major rail strike in over 40 years. The Garden State-owned rail service has already festooned stations with screaming-red signage warning of deep service cuts starting at midnight Friday if contract negotiations with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers union fall through.

Talks are continuing between NJ Transit and its rail engineers' union on Thursday, and are expected to go down to the wire as they try to reach an agreement to avert a walkout by the union at midnight.

If the engineers do walk off the job, the agency plans to increase bus service, saying it would add “very limited” capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and will contract with private carriers to operate bus service from key regional park-and-ride locations during weekday peak periods.

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