NJ Transit Blames WWE for Post-WrestleMania Train Debacle
NJ Transit is citing WrestleMania 35's end time as the reason why thousands of fans were forced to wait for trains in the rain early Monday morning following the event.
In a statement obtained by Larry Higgs of NJ.com, NJ Transit spokesperson Jim Smith explained that they planned for a 10:30 p.m. end time to Sunday's event at MetLife Stadium. The event did not conclude until 12:30 a.m. Because of this and federal laws prohibiting the number of hours that train service employees can work in a day, NJ Transit was not able to run enough trains to service all those in need in a timely manner.
"The decision to extend this event resulted in our inability to operate some of those trains due to federal requirements limiting train crew hours," Smith said. "Last-minute adjustments, such as holding the final trains of the night and adding several additional trips between Secaucus and Penn Station New York by utilizing crews and trains from throughout the system, were made."
However, WWE pay-per-views rarely, if ever, end at 10:30 p.m. ET, and WrestleMania hasn't ended at 10:30 p.m. in ages.
The WWE responded to N.J. Transit's bizarre claim, saying, "Just like other sports and entertaiment events, WWE does not advertise an end time."
And in a statement about the travel issues, the WWE said, "We regret any inconveniences fans may have experienced with mass transportation after the event."
WWE said 82,265 fans were in attendance for WrestleMania 35, which was only 264 less than who attended Super Bowl LXVIII at MetLife. NJ Transit says it lost $5.6 million serving riders for that Super Bowl.
