Montclair-Boonton Line train 1074 struck the vehicle at the Ryerson Road crossing in Lincoln Park just before 9:30 a.m., NJ Transit spokesman Kyalo Mulumba said.
A preliminary investigation found that the crossing gates were working as intended and were in the down position when the driver drove the vehicle around the gates and positioned the vehicle into the path of the train, Mulumba said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The train left Hackettstown at 8:24 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Hoboken at 10:30 a.m.
There were no injuries reported to the approximately 40 customers or crew on board. Customers on board the train were accommodated by a bus.
New Jersey Transit Police are leading the investigation.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Belleville and receive free news updates.