Eight top officials at NJ Transit received raises despite customers' continuing to experience delays, cancellations and poor service.

The raises were among the recommendations in last year's audit ordered by Gov. Phil Murphy to dig into the agency's troubles.

"The new structure, which reduced the total number of senior staff positions and saves money, is similar to peer agencies throughout the region," an NJ Transit spokesman said in an email. "Salaries that have been adjusted for direct reports to the president & CEO are commensurate with their enhanced responsibilities as part of the reorganization."

The agency's raises were first reported by the New Jersey Globe.

Five positions were eliminated to save $474,880 in salaries.

Kevin Corbett, who was elevated to NJ Transit's president and CEO in June from his position of executive director, did not receive a raise. His salary is $280,000. Nor did Raymond Kenny, senior vice president and general manager of rail operations, who makes $225,000.

Nonunion salaries have been frozen for at least eight years, despite requests to make the salaries for those positions more competitive, last year's audit found.

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For years, the agency has been hemorrhaging experienced personnel, from senior managers to front-line employees. Those who were eligible to retire did, and those who did not retire pursued career opportunities elsewhere, according to an investigation in 2017 by NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network New Jersey.

Meanwhile, during that time at least 10 allies of former Gov. Chris Christie received promotions and pay increases at NJ Transit while the agency crumbled around them.

While other incremental changes are underway to improve performance — including six classes of rail engineers recently graduated or set to graduate by the end of the year, and a $75 million boost in its budget from the state Legislature — ridership morale is the lowest its been in recent years.

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Customer satisfaction with the agency as a whole received a score of 67%, according to NJ Transit surveys from 2018, the lowest since 2011.

Canceled trains for equipment issues or engineer availability and non-existent air conditioning on older trains and buses continue to plague customers' experience this summer as they wait for long-promised improvement.

Here are the people receiving raises:

Michael Kilcoyne

Title : Senior vice president of surface transportation and general manager of bus operations.

: Senior vice president of surface transportation and general manager of bus operations. Salary: $225,000, up 25% from $180,000.

William Viqueira

Title: Senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Senior vice president and chief financial officer. Salary: $215,000, up 19.4% from $180,000.

Anthony Grieco

Title: Senior vice president of communications and customer experience.

Senior vice president of communications and customer experience. Salary: $188,000, up 20.5% from $156,000.

Christopher Trucillo

Title: Senior vice president, chief of police and office of emergency management

Senior vice president, chief of police and office of emergency management Salary: $188,000, up 15.3% from $163,040.

Eric Daleo

Title: Senior vice president of capital programs.

Senior vice president of capital programs. Salary: $188,000, up 7.1% from $175,500.

Jeannie Kwon

Title: Senior vice president and chief administration officer.

Senior vice president and chief administration officer. Salary: $188,000, up 17.5% from $160,000.

Justin Davis

Title: Senior vice president of regulatory and government affairs and chief of staff.

Senior vice president of regulatory and government affairs and chief of staff. Salary: $188,000, up 20.5% from $156,000.

Brian Lapp