Penn Station construction causes commuter headaches

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - It might not be the ‘Summer of Hell,' but it'll certainly be a Summer of inconvenience for some NJ Transit commuters.

Starting Monday select trains from the Montclair-Boonton Line and the North Jersey Coast Line, which normally go into New York Penn Station, will divert to Hoboken Terminal. The change is set to last until September 6th to accommodate Amtrak repairs on two Penn Station tracks.

NJ Transit will reduce its fare to compensate for a PATH or ferry ride, but commuters will have to buy PATH Smartlink cards or MetroCards.
 
Workers will also start major renovations on Penn Station's 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue entrance.

The $570 million project is expected to take about a year. When completed there will be a new main entrance for LIRR commuters equipped with three escalators, a stairway, and an elevator.

The 33rd Street concourse will be widened and the ceiling's height will be more than doubled. 

During the construction, MTA will close six ticket windows, and four ticket machines will be moved.
LIRR officials are urging customers to buy tickets on the eTix app to avoid clogged lines and confusion.