NJ Transit locomotive engineers could soon walk off the job, bringing to a halt a rail service used by 350,000 commuters in the event of a work stoppage. As of Thursday morning, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union and NJ Transit representatives were still meeting in negotiations hoping to reach an agreement prior to a potential strike.

NJ Transit and a locomotive engineer’s union are still negotiating with less than a day until a strike deadline. At a press conference Wednesday night, NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri and union officials expressed optimism about a deal being made before midnight.

New Jersey Transit is urging riders to reach their destinations or risk being stranded. The warning comes as talks continued Thursday in a bid to avert a rail strike by train engineers that would affect some 350,