As late as Wednesday night, the two sides were expressing some optimism for a settlement. Since then, radio silence.

NJ Transit’s bus routes, the agency’s predominate lines in the region, would not be impacted. But rail lines would.

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.

Engineers at New Jersey Transit are poised to go on strike one minute after midnight Friday morning, a stoppage that would create huge problems for100,000 daily train commuters, businesses across the New York metropolitan area as well as fans of Shakira and Beyoncé,

Beyonce fans might be better off riding a horse to next week’s “Cowboy Carter” concerts at MetLife Stadium if a strike shuts down NJ Transit rail service. NJ Transit’s train engineers could walk off the job as soon as Friday after Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers members voted to reject a tentative agreement between the leaders of the agency and the union.