Saint-Ouen, France-based Alstrom, a provider of integrated light rail solutions, from engineering and manufacturing to operational management, has announced layoffs associated with the loss of a contract to operate and maintain the New Jersey River Line light rail system.
The contract loss will impact 121 employees as NJ Transit will assume operations and maintenance activities.
According to a company spokesperson, “We expect it to be invisible to our customers. NJ Transit and Alstom are working collaboratively to make this a seamless transition. The transition of this service in-house will be supported by funds currently allocated to the existing contract. We must continue to make the necessary investments to upgrade the existing 20-year-old-plus vehicles and infrastructure, and ultimately plan for the purchase of new vehicles, to ensure the long-term reliability and efficiency of the River Line service."
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?