The Local Girl 
Work on a railway bridge over the Hackensack River will result in several weeks of transit disruptions and delays for Amtrak and NJTransit riders. Work on the Portal North bridge will begin on October 9th and is scheduled to go through November 15th. Schedules will be reduced on both Amtrak and NJTransit during this time. Read on for more about the Portal Bridge construction what it means for commuters.
The Portal Bridge. Image courtesy of Amtrak.
About the Project
According to a press release from NJTransit, Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT will perform critical work to transfer the final track from the 100+ year old Portal Bridge to the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River. The work is set to begin on the evening of October 9th and regular service will resume on November 16th, pending safety testing.
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The project is part of the Gateway Program, a regional transit infrastructure improvement project. And, if the construction on the Portal Bridge sounds familiar, it’s because there was an earlier shutdown period in February + March 2026. This was Phase 1 of the project, which saw one new rail line activated on the new bridge. After Phase 2, the other rail line will be activated on the new bridge.
Commuter Alert
Passengers on Amtrak and NJTransit will experience delays, disruptions and cancellations.
“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,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri. “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.”
Work on the Portal Bridge. Image courtesy of Amtrak.
“As we enter this second and final Cutover for Portal North Bridge, we’re building on the success of the first one, to deliver tangible results and benefits to New Jersey visitors and residents,” said Amtrak Interim President Byl Herrmann. “After the success of the first Cutover, we followed that up with outstanding service during the World Cup, and we are going to conclude the third major event for us this year on a high note with the second Cutover the same way by proving what this joint team can accomplish when we work together.”
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Amtrak has reduced service on the impacted lines – the Acela, the Northeast Regional, and the Keystone.
NJTransit has encouraged customers to work remotely during this time, if possible. Trains will only be able to operate on a single track between Newark and Secaucus, resulting in fewer trains operating into Penn Station New York on weekdays on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and the North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL).
All Midtown Direct service will be diverted to Hoboken. Midtown Direct customers on Morristown Line, Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton line trains should purchase NJ TRANSIT tickets & passes to/from Hoboken. Tickets/passes with an origin station on these 3 rail lines with a Hoboken destination will be accepted for travel on:
• PATH (at Hoboken & 33rd St. Stations only)
•NY Waterway ferry service (between Hoboken and Midtown only)
• NJ TRANSIT’s 126 bus service between Hoboken and the PABT
• Weekend Midtown Direct trains operating to/from New York
- This applies to monthly/weekly passes and FLEXPASS only
- One-way tickets will need a NY destination on weekends
Further, NJTransit plans to support customers by:
•Cross-honoring with NJ TRANSIT Route 126 bus service, New York Waterway Ferry and PATH at Hoboken and 33rd St. Stations
• Enhanced AM/PM peak ferry service to/from Midtown
• Advance notice of service impacts across every available customer communication channel
• Real-time service alerts through digital channels
•Station signage and messaging
• FLEXPASS ticket option on sale (20 trips w/ 15% discount)
• Additional NJ TRANSIT Staff in Hoboken & Secaucus
Riders are encouraged to stay tuned to the NJTransit app and website for up-to-date information.
Another workaround is the Boxcar Bus, a private bus commuting company. It will run parallel routes to the disrupted rail lines.
RerouteNJ is a web tool developed by NJ Transit rider + Essex County resident Joe Amditis. It tells riders which train to take and where to transfer depending on what lines they ride.
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