Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday night that he's "hoping for the best but preparing for the worst" regarding a possible NJ Transit rail strike.

NEWARK, NJ — As transit workers strike and New Jersey’s commuter rail system grinds to a halt, Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday rejected growing criticism of NJ Transit’s performance under his administration, insisting the system is “not more broken” despite widespread outages, mounting delays, and public frustration.

NJ Transit trains could stop running at 12:01 a.m. Friday if locomotive engineers go on strike over the salary increase they want​.

Gov. Philip D. Murphy said the transit agency was eager to reach a deal with engineers whose walkout has caused disruptions for tens of thousands in the New York area. The union said NJ Transit walked away from talks.

“Phil Murphy and the Trenton Democrats finally found a way to stop all the outmigration: no one can get a plane or a train out of New Jersey,” Ciattarelli wrote on social media. “Seriously, the lives of New Jerseyans should not — CANNOT — be disrupted any more than they already are. The two sides need to come to an agreement.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ripped NJ Transit engineers for going on strike Friday — blasting their actions as a “slap in the face” to commuters and a “mess of their own