NEW YORK — Commuter rail operator New Jersey Transit, whose continual service troubles have plagued riders over the last year, has hired MWWPR to improve passenger communications.

“As part of the Governor’s commitment to improving customer communications at NJ Transit, we entered into an agreement with MWWPR on September 4, 2018 for a period of 6 months, at a cost not to exceed $250,000,” the state rail service told the Holmes Report.

“They will conduct a full analysis of NJ Transit’s existing communications organizational structure to improve the effectiveness, timeliness, consistency, and quality of customer communications across all travel modes and all customer communication channels. They also will develop a comprehensive communication strategy for a path forward for all internal and external communications to meet the needs of our customers.”

MWWPR’s hiring comes amid a large-scale initiative to fix the rail service, whose performance has been fraught with delays, cancellations and congestion. In releasing an audit of NJ Transit’s operations earlier this month, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called for full-scale changes in operations, hiring and infrastructure, as well as improving communications with riders across platforms.

Reports, however, have questioned NJ Transit’s decision to hire a PR firm, given the depth of its problems and reliance on tax dollars. MWWPR declined to comment.

MWWPR has worked with a range of New Jersey state agencies. In 2013, the firm crafted  the ‘Stronger than the Storm’ campaign for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.