The workers are striking because of a pay dispute: BLET argues NJ Transit’s wage proposal puts them below their peers at other passenger rail lines in the region, while NJ Transit argues the union’s demands are unreasonably high and would raise prices for commuters.

The agency’s contingency plan is to move rail commuters to busses, but only about 20,000 of the daily rail commuters could be accommodated through bus routes, president and chief executive officer of NJ Transit Kris Kolluri said. The plan won’t go into effect until Monday, leaving commuters to fend for themselves on Friday.