NJ Transit is urging customers to work from home if possible and limit travel on its system to “essential purposes only” in the event of a strike by locomotive engineers, which could come as soon as Friday,

New Jersey Transit is asking riders to work from home in the event of a potential union strike that threatens to shut down commuter rail service starting as early as May 16.

NJ Transit may be encouraging some customers to work from home in May, a surprising stance from a transit agency that relies on continued ridership. That’s due to a much-feared rail strike that looms after the union representing engineers rejected NJ Transit’s latest contract deal.