NJ Transit new schedules start next week: How to avoid worst delays
Explaining next week's NJ Transit schedule changes
FOX 5 NY's Ines Rosales joined Dan Bowens on Newsroom Live.
NEW JERSEY - If you can work from home, NJ Transit officials say now is the time — major schedule changes tied to Portal Bridge construction are about to reshape the daily commute.
What we know:
From Feb. 15 through March 15, all rail lines except the Atlantic City Rail Line will operate on modified schedules.
The changes include train consolidations and cancellations, along with adjusted departure times and stopping patterns.
Why is this happening?
HOBOKEN, NJ - OCTOBER 10: A train pulls into Hoboken Terminal during afternoon rush hour, October 10, 2016 in Hoboken, New Jersey. On Monday morning, partial service resumed at Hoboken Terminal for the first time since the Sept. 29 crash that killed
The backstory:
The temporary schedules come as Amtrak transfers rail operations from the aging Portal Bridge to the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River.
Regular service is expected to resume Sunday, March 15, pending completion of safety testing.
NJ Transit schedules
Commuters wait for New Jersey Transit trains at Penn Station in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. New Jersey Transit and Amtrak train service is facing major delays in and out of New York's Pennsylvania Station on Tuesday after overhead wire i
Timeline:
Sunday, Feb. 15: Portal cutover weekend schedules take effect on all rail lines except the Atlantic City Rail Line.
Monday, Feb. 16 (Presidents’ Day): Weekend schedules remain in place, with additional trains operating as listed in the timetable. Midtown Direct trains will not be diverted to Hoboken on Presidents’ Day, and cross-honoring will not be in effect.
Tuesday, Feb. 17: Portal cutover weekday schedules begin. Midtown Direct service on the Morristown Line, Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Line will be diverted to Hoboken. Cross-honoring will be available in Hoboken via PATH, NY Waterway ferries and NJ Transit Bus Route 126.
Affected lines operating on special weekday and weekend/holiday schedules include:
- Main-Bergen County Line
- Montclair-Boonton Line
- Morris & Essex Lines
- Northeast Corridor
- North Jersey Coast Line
- Pascack Valley Line
- Raritan Valley Line
Portal Bridge corridor
Local perspective:
During the cutover period, trains must operate on a single track between Newark and Secaucus, limiting capacity through the busy Portal Bridge corridor.
NJ Transit says customers should expect:
- Modified train schedules, many with earlier departures
- Reduced service frequencies on some segments
- Longer travel times
- Train consolidations or cancellations
The impacts will primarily affect lines operating into and out of New York Penn Station. Midtown Direct riders diverted to Hoboken should prepare for crowded transfer options during peak periods, as PATH, ferry and bus connections have limited capacity.
How to avoid the worst delays
A New Jersey Transit train travels east-bound in North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011. Amtrak is proposing a $13.5 billion project that will include building two commuter rail tunnels from New Jersey to New York by 2020, replaci
What you can do:
NJ Transit is urging customers to check updated schedules and use the trip planner before traveling. Riders should allow extra travel time and consider traveling outside peak hours — before 7 a.m. or after 9 a.m., and before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m..
Customers who have the flexibility to work from home are strongly encouraged to do so during the construction period to help reduce congestion.
While officials say the short-term disruption will be challenging, the cutover is a critical step toward improving long-term reliability and capacity along the Northeast Corridor.
PATH train
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Commuters wait to board the Journal Square Path Transit line following heavy delays during rush hour at 33rd Street on May 16, 2025 in New York City. About 450 members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainm
PATH riders should also prepare for heavier crowds at Hoboken Station from Feb. 16 through March 13 due to the NJ Transit construction work.
With all Midtown Direct trains diverted to Hoboken on weekdays beginning Feb. 17, PATH officials warn of significantly higher passenger volumes and are urging riders to work remotely or avoid travel between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. if possible.
The Source: This report is based on information from NJ Transit.