NJ Transit riders to NYC will again have to transfer in Hoboken while a track is moved. See the timeline and schedules. <\/p>\n
Sep 17, 2026 12:15 PM EDT | Updated Sep 17, 2026 12:55 PM EDT<\/p>\n
NORTH JERSEY, NJ \u2014 NJ Transit and Amtrak plan to reduce train service next month as they move a track from a century-old bridge in Kearny to a new bridge.<\/p>\n
The schedule changes will run for five weeks \u2014 from the night of Oct. 11 through Nov. 14, a Sunday.<\/p>\n
\n Subscribe<\/a>\n<\/p>\n Weekday NJ Transit commuters heading to New York City will have to change to a bus, ferry, or PATH in Hoboken to finish their commute, just as they did in February<\/a>, when the first track was moved.<\/a><\/p>\n The new schedules and transfer options are linked below.<\/p>\n There will be fewer cuts in service than last February, officials noted. Systemwide, rides will be reduced only by 10 percent. Some shuttles will be added in places like Secaucus.<\/p>\n NJ Transit officials said in a press conference Thursday that the intent is to resolve holdups well before Thanksgiving, noting that the new bridge should serve customers for at least 100 years.<\/p>\n “This is the craziest corridor in the Western Hemisphere,” said NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri. “We have to do this [change] while the trains are running.”<\/p>\n Customers who take the Morris and Essex, Gladstone Branch, and Montclair-Boonton trains, and other lines from New Jersey to Penn Station will have to buy tickets to Hoboken during the week. The Atlantic City line remains unaffected. <\/p>\n Old Bridge Will Be Demolished<\/p>\n The transfer from the century-old Portal Bridge<\/a> over the Hackensack River to the Portal North Bridge is part of the Gateway Program to improve Amtrak and NJ Transit rail service to New York. <\/p>\n Trains were frequently held up in Kearny due to problems with the old bridge, officials said. <\/p>\n The Portal Bridge will be decommissioned in fall and ultimately demolished in January. The demolition will not impact service, officials said.<\/p>\n More than 18,000 more commuters streamed through Hoboken Terminal in mornings and again in evenings in February while the first of two tracks was moved.<\/p>\n “Visitors are encouraged to enjoy Hoboken before, during, or after their commute,” a Hoboken city spokesperson said in February. Dozens of restaurants are walkable from the terminal.<\/p>\n Amtrak Changes<\/p>\n The biggest change to Amtrak service will affect trains between Philadelphia and New York. <\/p>\n Keystone Service between both cities will be reduced from 24 weekday trains to 10 during the cutover period, officials said. Find schedules here.<\/a><\/p>\n NJ Transit Schedule Changes, Shuttles<\/p>\n On Oct. 12, which is Columbus Day, trains will run on the cutover weekday schedule.<\/p>\n You can see the adjusted schedules and transfer options for NJ Transit at njtransit.com\/portalcutover<\/a> and here.<\/a><\/p>\n