Beyonce/Jay Z concertgoers pan NJ Transit performance

PERTH AMBOY — A chaotic week for NJ Transit continued on Saturday with the second fatal pedestrian strike of the week as complaints mounted over crowded trains following a Beyonce/Jay Z concert Friday night.

A man was fatally struck 7:30 a.m. Saturday by a NJ Transit train on the North Jersey Coast Line near Perth Amboy Station. The accident closed the line in both directions between Woodbridge and Perth Amboy, according to NJ Transit spokeswoman Lisa Torbic. NJ Transit ran buses between those two stations.

The train was being moved from Long Branch to New York and was not carrying any passengers. None of the three crew members were injured.

Service resumed just after 9 a,m. with 60-minute delays.

The Atlantic City Line was suspended Wednesday between Egg Harbor and Atlantic City because of a person fatally struck near Absecon.

Concertgoers who took a special NJ Transit train from the Meadowlands to Secaucus Junction after Friday night's Beyonce/Jay Z concert at MetLife Stadium were less than impressed with the return trip. The show let out around 11:30 a.m. but trains were crowded and there were not enough of them, according to tweets from riders.

A sampling of the messages:

Thursday night's OTRII concert didn't start until after 11 p.m. because of a rain delay, meaning the concert didn't end until 1:30 a.m. NJ Transit said it was contractually obligated to provide transportation after the concert no matter the hour.

"During this time, we safely transported more than 12,000 customers to MetLife Stadium and had to get them home as well. As a result, some of these crews did not have the required rest time to begin their scheduled shifts (Friday) morning," Snyder said. At least 16 trains were cancelled on Friday morning.

Things didn't get better for NJ Transit on Friday afternoon as strong thunderstorms brought a tree onto overhead wires near the Summit station on the Morris & Essex Line. Raritan Valley Line service was also suspended because of a tree that fell near Annandale.

Join our Commuter Board and be part of our traffic and transit covergae. Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ