NJ Transit To Slash Rides, Divert Passengers Through Hoboken Again: See Schedules

NORTH JERSEY, NJ — 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.

The schedule changes will run for five weeks — from the night of Oct. 11 through Nov. 14, a Sunday.

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, when the first track was moved.

The new schedules and transfer options are linked below.

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.

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.

"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."

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.

Old Bridge Will Be Demolished

The transfer from the century-old Portal Bridge 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.

Trains were frequently held up in Kearny due to problems with the old bridge, officials said.

The Portal Bridge will be decommissioned in fall and ultimately demolished in January. The demolition will not impact service, officials said.

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.

"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.

Amtrak Changes

The biggest change to Amtrak service will affect trains between Philadelphia and New York.

Keystone Service between both cities will be reduced from 24 weekday trains to 10 during the cutover period, officials said. Find schedules here.

NJ Transit Schedule Changes, Shuttles

On Oct. 12, which is Columbus Day, trains will run on the cutover weekday schedule.

You can see the adjusted schedules and transfer options for NJ Transit at njtransit.com/portalcutover and here.

PRIOR REPORTING: NJ Transit Slashes Service Starting Sunday: See Link To New Schedules