NJ Transit River Line service slowly returns after inspection finds wheel flaw

Service on NJ Transit’s River Line was severely disrupted after an inspection found a flaw in some wheels on one of the Camden-to-Trenton light rail line’s cars.

“A preliminary inspection indicates there was a defect in a single batch of wheels delivered by the original manufacturer,” the transit agency said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, a comprehensive inspection is being conducted on every wheel of each vehicle, which is a highly labor-intensive process.”

Staff found hairline cracks on wheels that were delivered among a batch of 75 by the manufacturer, MWL Brasil Rodas & Exios LTDA, said Nancy Snyder, an NJ Transit spokesperson.

Inspecting each vehicle takes about five hours, she said, and they are being returned to service as they pass inspection. The line, which serves about 8,500 people every work day, is operated with 20 vehicles, according to NJ Transit documents. By noon Friday, five trains were in operation on the line, Snyder said.

The agency initially suspended service on the line but announced Friday morning that it would offer very limited service along with bus service among the line’s four busiest stations: Trenton, Florence, Beverly/Edgewater Park, and Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden. In normal conditions, the line serves 21 stops.

The buses will run every 15 minutes between 5:45 and 8:30 a.m.; every 30 minutes between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.; every 15 minutes between 4 and 7 p.m.; and every 30 minutes between 7 and 9:30 p.m. The schedule can be found on the agency’s website.

NJ Transit officials didn’t say when they expected the line to return to full service.

Other service alternatives also can be found on the agency’s website.