☑️NJ Transit will cut service between Newark and Secaucus by 50% during the work
☑️ Midtown Direct trains will be diverted to Hoboken for five weeks
☑️The work will complete the switch from the old Portal Bridge to Portal North Bridge
Five weeks of pain for Northeast Corridor rail riders will end a century of delays in October.
NJ Transit and Amtrak announced the final part of cutover work to bring the second and final track from the 116-year-old Portal Bridge to the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River starting Sunday, October 11 and running through Saturday, November 16. Like earlier this year, the projects will leave only one track available and require temporary schedule adjustments on every rail line except the Atlantic City Line.
Overall, the work will mean a 50% cut in the number of NJ Transit trains between Newark and Secaucus and a 10% reduction in all service. The changes will last for one more week than in the fall because the work is more complicated.
ALSO READ: 21-year-old drowns at North Wildwood beach
A NJ Transit train at the Hamilton train station (Dan Alexander, Townsquare Media)
Midtown Direct riders will see one of the biggest changes
The biggest single impact for riders will be weekday Midtown Direct trains on the Morris & Essex (M&E), Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Line diverted to Hoboken.
“Five weeks of adjusted schedules will deliver a modern, high-level bridge that ends a century of swing-bridge delays for customers traveling the Northeast Corridor to and from New York,” NJ Transit President & CEO Kris Kolluri said. “We worked closely with Amtrak on a service plan that maximizes capacity and keeps every rail line running, and we thank our customers for their patience as we complete the final step of this long-awaited project.”
PATH, NY Waterway and NJ Transit buses will cross-honor tickets during the service changes.
NJ Transit will also tackle several other projects requiring closures, including work on the movable bridge in Brielle on the North Jersey Coast Line, track maintenance on the Port Jervis Line and Conrail replacement work on the Raritan Valley Line.
Amtrak will also work on six maintenance projects all along the Northeast Corridor.
Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom
NJ Fall Fun Means Sunflowers, Corn Mazes and Pumpkins
Once the calendar turns to September, a strong crop of New Jersey spots start their fall fun early.
For any location listed below, call ahead, as operation times may vary and are weather permitting. It’s also good to have cash on-hand, as some activities may not take cards or cashless payments.
Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt
