NJ Transit To Reduce Service to New York Penn Station Through March 15

NJ Transit Commuters heading to and from New York Penn Station should expect to transfer trains from February 15 to March 15 due to construction transferring rail operations to the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River. During construction, trains will only be able to operate on a single track between Newark and Secaucus. As a result, there will be fewer trains going to NY Penn on weekdays on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and the North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL). There will be no Midtown Direct service into Penn Station on weekdays on the Morristown, Gladstone Branch, and the Montclair- Boonton lines. Here’s a closer look at the construction work, what to do if your commute is impacted, and the upcoming NJ Transit schedule for trains traveling to and from New York Penn Station.

The New Portal North Bridge Construction

The construction aims to transfer rail operations from the existing Portal Bridge to the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River. It’s part of the Gateway Program, a collection of critical rail infrastructure projects on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Newark, New Jersey and New York Penn Station. 

Amtrak started the complex, critical work on transferring one track of rail service on February 13. In the long term, NJ Transit says the transfer of Amtrak-owned wires and electrical systems will be beneficial, but customers on all rail lines (except for the Atlantic City Rail line) will experience disruptions for four weeks starting February 15. Commuters should expect train consolidations, cancellations, changed departure times, and stopping patterns.  

“We understand that this work will disrupt the way our customers travel during the cutover period, which is why every element of our service plan was designed to keep people moving as safely and efficiently as possible,” said NJ TRANSIT President + CEO Kris Kolluri in a statement online. “While the disruption is temporary, the benefits—including a far more reliable and resilient commute along the Northeast Corridor—will last for generations.”

Read More: PATH Riders Advised to Prepare for Delays from February 15th – March 15th

Commuters can expect regular schedules to resume on Sunday, March 15, subject to safety testing.

NJ Transit Commute Options

NJ Transit and Amtrak are focusing on three core principles when developing its service plan: maximizing capacity and seat availability, maintaining service on all rail lines, and continuing to uphold the highest standards of safety. 

Here’s what to expect during this NJ Transit construction disruption:

Weekday Midtown Direct trains on the Morris + Essex, Gladstone Branch, and Montclair-Boonton lines will be diverted to Hoboken. On weekdays, customers on these lines should purchase tickets to Hoboken instead of New York. For those with Hoboken as a destination on their tickets/passes, these are your options upon arrival in Hoboken:

Weekday Midtown Direct trains on the Morris & Essex (M&E), Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Line will be diverted to Hoboken. Weekend Midtown Direct trains will operate to/from PSNY.

• Cross-honoring with NY Waterway ferries will be in effect on weekdays between Hoboken Terminal and W. 39th St. in Midtown Manhattan
• Ferry service to Midtown Manhattan will be enhanced during the morning and evening peak periods
• Cross-honoring will be in effect with PATH at Hoboken and 33rd Street only.
• NJ TRANSIT’s 126 bus to/from PABT

For February and March, Midtown Direct customers on the Morristown, Gladstone Branch, and Montclair-Boonton lines traveling to/from Penn Station New York should purchase NJ Transit monthly passes to/from Hoboken (via Newark Broad Street).

On weekends, customers traveling on the Morristown, Gladstone Branch, and Montclair-Boonton lines to New York must buy one-way tickets to/from Penn Station New York.

On Monday, February 16, rail service will operate on the Portal cutover weekend schedule, mentioned above, with additional trains operating as listed in the Portal cutover weekend schedules. Midtown Direct trains will begin diverting to Hoboken on Tuesday, February 17.

NJ Transit encourages customers to check schedules before traveling and allow extra travel time. NJ Transit wants customers to understand that the alternate service options being diverted to Hoboken will have limited capacity, especially during peak travel periods. The transit organization says to expect large crowds and consider riding before 7AM or after 9AM and before 4PM or after 7PM on weekdays. If possible, NJ Transit asks customers to consider maximizing their ability to work from home.  

The full alternate schedules for February 15 through March 15 can be found below. 

• Main-Bergen County Line Weekday 
  
• Main-Bergen County Line Weekend + Presidents Day (2/16) 
  
• Montclair-Booton Line Weekday 
  
• Montclair-Booton Line Weekend + Presidents Day (2/16)
  
• Morris & Essex Line Weekday 
  
• Morris & Essex Line Weekend + Presidents Day (2/16)
  
• Northeast Corridor Weekday 
  
• Northeast Corridor Weekend + Presidents Day (2/16)
  
• North Jersey Coast Line Weekday 
  
• North Jersey Coast Line Weekend + Presidents Day (2/16)
  
• Pascack Valley Line Weekday 
  
• Pascack Valley Line Weekend + Presidents Day (2/16)
  
• Raritan Valley Line Weekday
  
• Raritan Valley Line Weekend + Presidents Day (2/16) 
  

Background On The New Portal North Bridge

NJ Transit reports the new Portal North Bridge will be a modern two-track, high-level, fixed-span bridge that will improve service and capacity along this section of the NEC. It will be 50 feet over the Hackensack River, doubling the height clearance and allowing marine traffic to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic.

The new bridge will also reduce bridge-related delays, increase operational resilience along the NEC, and provide a modern structure that supports future capacity growth. 

This project will eliminate the 114-year-old swing bridge, which NJ Transit says has been the source of major service disruptions for both NJ Transit and Amtrak customers. 

Once the transfer construction is complete, eastbound service to New York will resume on the original bridge, and westbound service leaving New York will use the new bridge. 

The second phase of the transfer work, which will complete the transition, is expected in Fall 2026. Once both tracks are in service on the new bridge, the original bridge will be permanently removed from service. 

See More: Federal Judge Orders Funds Released to Continue Work on Gateway Project

This project is part of the Gateway Program and funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, New Jersey, New York, and Amtrak. The Trump Administration had frozen funding to the construction project in late 2025. A federal judge on February 9 declined to reverse an earlier ruling that directed the federal government to restart reimbursements, but agreed to pause the order until February 12 to allow the Trump administration to appeal it.

The Portal North Bridge project is part of the larger Gateway Program, which also includes the Hudson Tunnel Project and other major rail infrastructure improvements along the Northeast Corridor. While the Gateway Program is currently involved in a federal funding dispute, the temporary service disruptions tied to the Portal North Bridge cutover are part of planned construction work and are not related to the ongoing legal fight over funding.

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