NORTH JERSEY, NJ — Since Feb. 16, New Jersey travelers heading to New York City on NJ Transit trains have had to stop in Hoboken and transfer to a ferry, bus, or PATH train — with the promise that normal schedules would resume starting this Sunday.

The changes were made while engineers took a month to move a track and wiring from a century-old bridge over the Hackensack River in Kearny to a newer, higher bridge.

With the exception of Atlantic City Line, all NJ Transit rail routes were affected by the change, bringing an additional 18,000 people each morning and evening through the Hoboken Train Terminal instead of directly to Manhattan Penn Station.

Caren Lissner/Patch

Weekend And Weekday Schedules

Late Wednesday, NJ Transit told Patch that routes will be back to normal starting this Sunday, running on a regular weekend schedule.

The regular weekday schedules will resume Monday, the spokesperson said.

NJ Transit and Amtrak scheduled a joint press conference Thursday to run their first train ride over the new North Portal Bridge.

The new North Portal Bridge (Amtrak)

The new bridge will not have to open and close for river traffic as the old bridge did, Amtrak said in a release, and will “advance long-term reliability and capacity improvements on the Northeast Corridor for an improved travel experience.”

Will Happen Again

But more work will have to be done over a four-week period this fall, NJ Transit noted, when their remaining track is transferred from the old to the new bridge as well.

Once both tracks are moved to the new bridge, the 116-year-old Portal Bridge will be permanently removed.

The transfer of the track is part of the Gateway Program to ultimately improve rail service from New Jersey to New York, NJ Transit said.

“While the disruption is temporary, the benefits—including a far more reliable and resilient commute along the Northeast Corridor—will last for generations,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri.

Bumpy Start

On Feb. 16, the first day of the change, there were significant route cancellations, which the agency blamed on the engineers’ union. READ MORE: NJ Transit Blames Union Contracts For Train Cancellations Sunday

The agency said in a note to commuters later that day, “We apologize to our customers for this morning’s train cancellations related to the Portal Cutover schedule adjustments. Engineers are provided up to 48 hours under their collective bargaining agreement to select their new assignments…Some assignments may remain temporarily unfilled with limited advance notice.”

NJ Transit spokesman Jim Smith later told Patch that the routes were going smoothly after the three-day Presidents’ Day weekend ended.

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