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Port Authority aimed to avoid Hoboken PATH disruptions. Now station is closing for a weekend.
By
Catalina Gonella
and
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Aug 12, 2025
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Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
By
Catalina Gonella
and
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Aug 12, 2025
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Might as well call it Ho-Broken station.
Port Authority officials announced last week that they’ll close the Hoboken PATH stop over Labor Day Weekend to repair equipment that was installed just six months ago. A new track interlocking system in the area has experienced repeated mechanical failures in recent weeks — with one even causing a derailment in July — that officials blamed on “design issues” by the agency’s contractor.
The Port Authority installed the new interlocking during a monthlong shutdown of the station in February, which the agency said would be worth it so commuters could avoid frequent, short service disruptions. In that time the agency also upgraded concrete platforms, replaced staircases and installed LED lights.
Now, officials are reversing course, saying they’ll have to close the station for four days, from 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28 to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, in order to fix the faulty infrastructure.
“Any failure of this new equipment is unacceptable and the manufacturer, installation contractor or any party if at fault for its failure will be held accountable,” Port Authority spokesperson Seth Stein said.
Public records show the Port Authority awarded a $10 million contract last year to Long Island-based contractor J-Track LLC for track work near Hoboken, which included the overhaul to the interlocking, power systems and electrical conduits at the PATH station.
A Port Authority investigation into the July derailment found the interlocking problem was caused by the design of a guard rail, a component of the interlocking system officials said had to be manufactured specifically for the PATH. The agency said that other parts of the equipment like the switch points were also incorrectly designed and need to be replaced. The agency confirmed the manufacturer is already fabricating the new parts to be installed later this month.
J-Track representatives did not respond to requests for comment. Stein did not explain how the Port Authority failed to notice the interlocking system's design flaws.
“That's not meeting the needs and expectations of the Hoboken ridership,” said Andrew Wilson, executive director of Bike Hoboken, one of the advocacy organizations pushing for PATH service improvement. “It means that people are late for work. It means that people have to arrange alternate child care. It adds a lot of confusion when people get to the train station and it's shut down, so they need to take the bus or the ferry instead.”
Until the long-term fix is complete, the agency said, emergency repairs have been done to partially restore service to two of the station’s three platforms, allowing trains to reach the station at slower speeds and reduced frequency. The agency said trains are currently running around every 10 minutes during peak periods, around 2 minutes longer than usual.
The Port Authority said it’s providing transportation alternatives through the Labor Day Weekend shutdown, including cross-honoring arrangements via NJ Transit bus 125, NJ Transit rail, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and discounted tickets on the NY Waterway ferry.
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new jersey
new york
transportation
Catalina Gonella
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Ramsey Khalifeh
Ramsey Khalifeh is a transportation reporter on the NYC Accountability desk covering the largest transit system in the country. He was previously a general assignment reporter at Gothamist and worked on the Boston Globe's metro and copy desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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