NJ Transit is taking over operations of the River Line, which had bad on-time performance and too many canceled trains.

The milestone allows the agency to begin a series of tests ahead of the opening of the full 2 Line in early 2026.

“If a strike happens, LIRR service would be forced to shut down entirely,” the MTA said in Thursday social media posts.

The latest numbers are nearly double what Sound Transit considered affordable in 2021, setting the stage for tough decisions, perhaps next year.