NJ Transit named a best employer for 2018 by Forbes

Kaitlyn Kanzler | NorthJersey

Show Caption Hide Caption NJ Governor Murphy speaks about improvements coming to NJ Transit New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy speaks at the Madison train station about proposals to fix NJ Transit. The governor has referred to NJ Transit a 'national disgrace' and vowed to make over the troubled agency.

NJ Transit is widely mocked by commuters cranky about delayed and canceled trains, but it made the annual Forbes' 2018 Best Employers list, ranking 15th in New Jersey.

The transit agency was ranked 459th in the country by Forbes. NJ Transit is one of the busiest and biggest transit systems in the country and employees around 11,000 people to work on their network of trains, buses and light rails.

"This honor is a reflection on the hard-working men and women who keep New Jersey moving every day," said NJ Transit Executive Director Kevin Corbett in a press release.

The list is compiled by Forbes with the help of Statista, a research firm. Together, they rank the top employee-recommended 500 large and 500 mid-size companies.

NJ Transit has faced heavy criticism the last several years from riders and most recently, the newly elected governor. Rider complaints vary from doors opening while the train is moving, leaking ceilings to canceled and delayed trains.

Before taking office, Gov. Phil Murphy called the transportation agency a "national disgrace" and made promises to rebuild it.

The agency is racing to meet its December deadline to install positive train control, a collision avoidance system required by federal law. NJ Transit has already announced that several trains will be canceled or diverted in June, an effort to expedite the installation.

Staff writer Curtis Tate contributed to this story.

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