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NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule changes for Portal Bridge work
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Sep 17, 2026
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New Jersey governor's office via X
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Sep 17, 2026
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Fewer trains and longer commutes are on the horizon for riders who rely on NJ Transit to get around.
Starting Sunday, Oct. 11, all NJ Transit rail lines except the Atlantic City Rail Line will undergo significant changes for the next five weeks as construction crews work to complete the transition to the new Portal North Bridge.
The anticipated train cancellations, as well as changes in departure times and stopping patterns, will take place as crews transfer the final track from the century-old Portal Bridge to its replacement over the Hackensack River.
Regular service is expected to return Sunday, Nov. 15, once the work is complete and safety testing is finished, according to NJ Transit.
The new bridge rises 50 feet over the river, doubling the clearance of the old bridge and allowing marine vessels to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic.
Some commuters will also need to rely on buses as separate construction work takes place on the North Jersey Coast, Port Jervis and Raritan Valley lines.
Amtrak is also taking advantage of the reduced rail traffic to perform eight maintenance projects along the Northeast Corridor.
Among the schedule changes, weekday NJ Transit trains on the Morris & Essex, Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton lines that normally travel to and from New York Penn Station will instead be diverted to Hoboken. Riders traveling to and from New York can use PATH trains, NY Waterway ferries or NJ Transit buses from Hoboken.
Those trains will continue operating to and from Penn Station on weekends.
NJ Transit and Amtrak are posting their adjusted schedules on their respective websites. Riders can also check the agencies’ apps and social media accounts for real-time service updates.
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transportation
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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