NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule disruptions starting Sunday

Key Points:

• Starting October 11, NJ Transit rail lines will face cancellations, altered departure times, and changes to stopping patterns due to ongoing construction transferring trains from the old Portal Bridge to the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River.
• The $2.3 billion Portal North Bridge project aims to resolve long-standing train delays caused by the century-old bridge, which often opened for boats and sometimes got stuck; the new taller bridge will double boat clearance, preventing train stoppages.
• Most NJ Transit lines, except the Atlantic City Rail Line, will experience major schedule changes for about five weeks, with weekday Morris & Essex, Gladstone Branch, and Montclair-Boonton trains rerouted from New York Penn Station to Hoboken, while weekend service to Penn Station continues.
• Commuters traveling to New York are advised to use alternative options such as PATH trains, NY Waterway ferries, or NJ Transit buses from Hoboken, and some will also face bus substitutions on other lines due to separate construction projects.
• Amtrak will adjust its schedules to conduct eight maintenance projects along the Northeast Corridor during this period, with NJ Transit service expected to return to normal by November 15 after bridge work and safety testing are completed.