HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Commuters on both sides of the light rail tracks between Hoboken and Jersey City Heights have been frustrated since early Monday when they haven’t been able to use the light rail elevator to get up or down the Palisades. NJ Transit said a shopping cart fire is the culprit.

[UPDATE: An NJ Transit spokesperson said Tuesday night, “The repairs have concluded and elevator service restored.”]

NJ Transit and spokespersons for both towns were unable to provide an explanation for why the elevator was not working on Monday evening, but an NJ Transit spokesperson responded Tuesday with details.

“At approximately 2:46 a.m. on Monday, New Jersey Transit Police were notified of a fire alarm activation and smoke at the 9th Street/Congress Street Light Rail Station,” said NJ Transit spokesperson Jim Smith. “New Jersey Transit Police discovered two shopping carts on fire in the stairwell near the elevators. The fire was extinguished by Jersey City Fire Department but damaged the fire alarm system for the elevators.”

The elevators were taken out of service, Smith said.

Work is ongoing to fix them.

“New Jersey Transit Police remain on scene to help with directing customers,” Smith said. Substitute bus service is in effect, he said.

He did not give an estimate for when elevator service would return.

Allows Access To Train

The Jersey City Heights neighborhood has no train service of its own, so residents often use the elevator at Congress Street to head down the Palisades hills to the 9th Street Station in Hoboken.

Hoboken residents also use the elevator to get up the hill to Jersey City Heights.

With the service not working, they can use buses or walk either south to the “100 Steps” down into southwestern Hoboken, or north to the 14th Street Viaduct.

Patch will update this story when a service update is available.

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