Bill Text: NJ A239 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires NJT to adopt plan to evacuate passengers when rail passenger vehicle becomes immobilized in tunnel.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-11 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee [A239 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A239-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman NANCY F. MUNOZ
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblywoman MICHELE MATSIKOUDIS
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Requires NJT to adopt plan to evacuate passengers when rail passenger vehicle becomes immobilized in tunnel.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning service provided to customers of the New Jersey Transit Corporation and supplementing Title 27 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The New Jersey Transit Corporation shall adopt a contingency plan in the event that a rail passenger train or light rail vehicle owned or operated by the corporation becomes immobilized inside of a tunnel. The plan shall provide that the corporation shall exercise due diligence to safely mobilize and relocate the train or vehicle to a location outside of the tunnel within one hour of the train or vehicle becoming immobilized. If the corporation is unable to safely mobilize and relocate the train or vehicle to a location outside of the tunnel within one hour, the plan shall provide that the corporation shall exercise due diligence to safely evacuate the passengers from the train or vehicle and relocate the passengers to a location outside of the tunnel within one hour of the train becoming immobilized.
b. If the corporation fails to safely evacuate and relocate the passengers of a rail passenger train or light rail vehicle immobilized inside of a tunnel to a location outside of the tunnel within one hour of the train or vehicle becoming immobilized, the corporation shall:
(1) prepare and issue a report on the immobilization that details why the corporation failed to safely evacuate and relocate the passengers within the required timeframe; and
(2) upon request by any committee of the Legislature, require the executive director of the corporation, and any other employee whose appearance is requested by the committee, to appear before that committee to answer questions and provide information on the immobilization and the corporation's failure to safely evacuate and relocate the passengers within the required timeframe.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) to adopt a contingency plan in the event that a rail passenger train or light rail vehicle owned or operated by NJ Transit becomes immobilized inside of a tunnel. The plan is to provide that NJ Transit exercise due diligence to safely relocate the train or vehicle to a location outside of the tunnel within one hour of the immobilization. If that is not possible, the plan is to require NJ Transit to exercise due diligence to safely evacuate the passengers from the train or vehicle and relocate them to a location outside of the tunnel within one hour of the immobilization.
If NJ Transit fails to safely evacuate and relocate the passengers within one hour, NJ Transit is required to issue a report and to appear before any legislative committee, upon request by that committee, explaining why NJ Transit failed to meet the required timeframe.
