New Jersey Transit is raising ticket prices Monday for the first time in nine years. The fare hike comes in the aftermath of a disastrous month of rail service with repeated delays.

A one-way fare from Middletown to New York City is rising from $15.25 to $17.50.

In Hoboken, the rate hike will not impact the popular PATH ticket into New York Penn Station, but it will increase the cost in getting to Hoboken.

The rate hike will also impact bus fares. NJ Transit says a ride from Jersey City to the Port Authority Bus Terminal will rise 50 cents one-way to $4.

NJ Transit says ridership is down since the pandemic which led to a more than $100 million budget shortfall. Transit officials say raising fares will keep them from reducing service levels.

But after a month that featured nine delays or suspensions of service into and out of New York Penn Station, customers told News 12 they are not convinced it will make a difference.

This will be the largest rate hike for some time, but not the last. There will be indefinite 3% annual rate increases coming each year on July 1.