NJ Transit is running a temporary schedule from Oct. 11 through Nov. 14 for the Portal Bridge cutover work. Midtown Direct trains on the Morristown, Gladstone and Montclair-Boonton lines are diverted to Hoboken on weekdays, and monthly passes must be purchased for the Hoboken zone.
The temporary schedule for the "Portal Bridge cutover" work that NJ Transit began on Oct. 11 will remain in effect through Nov. 14. In the project, Amtrak is moving the last remaining track on the existing Portal Bridge over the Hudson River to the new Portal North Bridge. While the work is under way, only one track is available between Newark and Secaucus. As a result, weekday trains to New York Penn Station on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines have been reduced, and the Morristown Line, Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Line have no weekday direct service to Penn Station (Midtown Direct).
The work is scheduled to end on Saturday, Nov. 14, and the regular schedule will resume on Sunday, Nov. 15, provided safety testing is completed. Train times have generally been moved earlier, and some lines have fewer trips and fewer trains. Travel times have also grown longer. NJ Transit advised customers to work from home if possible and, if they must commute, to travel on weekdays before 7 a.m. or after 9 a.m. in the morning, and before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m. in the evening.
Transferring at Hoboken on Weekdays: How to Buy Tickets
During the work period, Midtown Direct customers get off at Hoboken on weekdays and transfer to PATH, NY Waterway ferries or NJ Transit Bus Route 126. A one-way ticket purchased for the Hoboken zone is honored on PATH (Hoboken and 33rd Street stations only), NY Waterway ferries (Hoboken to the Midtown W. 39th Street terminal) and Route 126 buses between Hoboken and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Customers boarding PATH at other stations must pay the PATH fare separately. On weekends, trains on these three lines run directly to Penn Station.
Customers were also advised to buy monthly and weekly passes and FlexPass for October and November for the Hoboken zone via Newark Broad Street. These passes can be used as usual for the Penn Station zone from Oct. 1 to 10 and from Nov. 15 to 30, and during the work period they are accepted from Hoboken to New York on PATH, ferries and NJ Transit buses. The 20-trip FlexPass comes with a 15% discount, and the company said that using a Hoboken ticket together with PATH or a ferry can save customers up to 25% per trip, depending on the departure station.
Separately, buses will replace trains on the North Jersey Coast Line between Bay Head and Point Pleasant through Oct. 25 because of maintenance on the Brielle bridge. Capacity on the alternative routes at Hoboken Terminal is limited, so heavy crowding is expected during rush hours. Customers with mobility needs can receive assistance if they notify the train crew in advance. Weekday and weekend schedules for each line are available at njtransit.com/portalcutover.