Upcoming Changes for NJ Transit and Amtrak Riders

New Jersey Transit and Amtrak are alerting rail passengers to prepare for a potentially challenging month as a long-awaited infrastructure project hits a critical phase. They assure that the temporary inconvenience will lead to significant improvements.

Amtrak President Roger Harris stated, “In just a few weeks, we will reward the patience of Amtrak and New Jersey Transit customers by eliminating the cause of long delays and unreliable commutes.”

This past Sunday, Amtrak began the complex process of shifting rail traffic from the aging Portal Bridge, which has been in use for 115 years, to the newly built Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River.

Both New Jersey Transit and Amtrak utilize the same tracks to the north of Trenton, making this route particularly susceptible to issues that can impact the entire Northeast Corridor. Delays at junctions often disrupt train schedules into and out of New York City.

For the next several weeks, New Jersey Transit commuters will find that direct service to Penn Station from the Morristown Line, Gladstone Branch Line, or Montclair-Boonton Line will be suspended on weekdays. Instead, all non-stop Midtown service will be rerouted to Hoboken.

Riders can interchange their tickets on PATH trains between Hoboken and 33rd Street, as well as utilize NJ Transit’s 126 bus and New York Waterway ferries.

Transportation officials are cautioning riders to be ready for delays, particularly in Hoboken, where heavy traffic is anticipated during peak times compounded by New Jersey Transit’s reciprocal ticketing program.

Amtrak passengers can also expect reduced service this month as 280 trains will undergo adjustments due to the final phase of the project. This affects services like the Acela, Northeast Regional, and Keystone lines.

Simultaneous work on both sides of the bridge will involve connecting 4.2 kilometers of new railway to existing tracks. Additionally, the project includes constructing two new interlockings and installing over 4,500 feet of new track.

Amtrak indicated that the project will require around 40,000 man-hours, with 70 to 90 workers on-site daily for the next month.

The work is projected to wrap up by March 14, at which point normal service schedules are expected to return.

For New Jersey transit users, it’s advisable to check if their routes are affected. Amtrak customers can receive assistance via phone or online.

Delays at current intersections have stemmed from mechanical issues, especially when dealing with boat traffic. It’s been reported that workers sometimes had to strike the locking mechanism with a sledgehammer to get it working.

Former Governor Phil Murphy noted during the 2022 groundbreaking that existing bridges get stuck once in every seven openings to let maritime traffic pass. Fortunately, the new Portal Bridge North won’t require openings to accommodate river traffic. However, trains will operate on a single track between Newark and Secaucus next month, with limited weekday service to Penn Station, as announced by the agency.