NJ Transit rail engineers are set to strike if a deal cannot be reached by the midnight deadline, impacting hundreds of thousands of commuters.

As late as Wednesday night, the two sides were expressing some optimism for a settlement. Since then, radio silence.

If the engineers do walk off the job, the agency plans to increase bus service, saying it would add “very limited” capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and will contract with private carriers to operate bus service from key regional park-and-ride locations during weekday peak periods.

Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” tour gallops into MetLife Stadium from May 22 through 29, but thanks to a looming NJ Transit strike, getting there might feel less like a victory lap and more like an Oregon Trail-level survival challenge.

Expect delays or surge pricing at the concert tonight if you're taking Uber or Lyft, or trying to catch a Coach USA bus.

Gov. Phil Murphy campaigned for the State House eight years ago on a promise to fix New Jersey’s transit system. He called NJ Transit a “national disgrace,” and blamed his predecessor Chris Christie for not investing in the system used by more than 170,000 weekday rail riders.

NJ Transit riders have been advised to seek alternative transportation ahead of a looming workers' strike, which could impact the availability of the mass transit system in New Jersey

NJ Transit is spending $2.7 billion to retire all its old trains, which will increase reliability for riders by 2031.