NEWARK — NJ Transit will make its schedule clearer after bad weather this winter.

Executive Director Steve Santoro told NJ.com that during bad weather, NJ Transit will refer to what had been called a "modified schedule" as "Level 1" and "Level 2." The agency will announce which schedule is in effect, and a printable schedule will be available on the agency's website.

Printed schedules will also be available at some stations.

Santoro told NJ.com this will make service more convenient to customers.

Crowded NJ Transit train
(deej_vegas via Twitter)
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NJ Transit will still be at the mercy of Mother Nature and federal regulations after a bad storm, however.

Before last March's late-season snowstorm, NJ Transit suspended rail service in anticipation of 18 to 24 inches of snow.

Service was brought back the next day on a President's Day schedule with half as much service as a weekday schedule. The return of full service was slowed because of federal regulations, which first require an inspection of equipment.

"It takes a period of time to inspect our equipment, inspect our right-of-ways, inspect all our infrastructure. It’s not just plowing the tracks and we’re finished," NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said at the time. Switches and switch heaters also needed to be checked.

Riders became frustrated as trains passed by stations and express trains became locals.

Snyder said fewer trains mean that overcrowded trains have to bypass stations, and local trains will become express ones. In order to accommodate as many passengers as possible, Snyder said some express trains will make unscheduled stops.

Share your NJ Transit experience with reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.

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