4 weeks of hell start Sunday: What to know as NJ Transit cuts 50% of trains

NJ Transit will cut service by 50% for 4 weeks starting Feb. 15

Rush hours will be a nightmare for commuters

What to know so you can prepare

The payoff may be years of smoother, more reliable rail service but the next four weeks will test New Jersey commuters’ patience — especially after a day from hell on Monday that NJ Transit's leader had to apologize for.

Starting Sunday, NJ Transit rail service into New York will be cut roughly in half for four weeks because of work on the long-awaited Portal North Bridge project.

NJ Transit is urging anyone who can work from home to do so because rush-hour trains will be packed like sardine tins, and commute times will be longer. Service will be slashed to lines serving wealthy suburbs. Only the Atlantic City line is unaffected.

When does NJ Transit service disruption start and end?

The disruption begins Feb. 15 and runs until Sunday, March 15, as crews shut down one of two tracks between Newark and Secaucus to switch rail traffic from the 110-year-old Portal Bridge to the new $1.5 billion replacement.

Of the 332 trains that use the Northeast Corridor between Newark and New York Penn Station, only half will be in service.

NJ Transit’s advice: Change routine or stay home

🔴 Work from home if possible

⏰ Travel before 7 a.m. or after 9 a.m. in the morning

⏰  Travel before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m. in the evening

🔴 Check schedules daily

What commuters should expect starting Sunday

Service cuts & delays

❌ Up to 50% fewer trains into Penn Station New York on weekdays

⏱️ Longer travel times and earlier departures

❌ Some trains combined or canceled

‍♂️ Heavier crowding, especially during peak hours

❌ No Midtown Direct (weekdays)

❌ No Midtown Direct service into Penn Station New York on weekdays

❌Affects Morristown Line, Gladstone Branch, Montclair-Boonton Line

❌ All Midtown Direct weekday trains will terminate in Hoboken

Where to find the new NJ Transit schedules

Hoboken detours: Your alternative ways into NYC

If you’re diverted to Hoboken, NJ Transit says cross-honoring will be in effect, but capacity is limited.

You can use your train ticket or pass on:

🚅 PATH (Hoboken ↔ 33rd Street only)

⛴️ NY Waterway ferries (Hoboken ↔ West 39th Street, with extra peak service)

🚐 NJ Transit Bus Route 126 to/from Port Authority

⚠️ NJ Transit warns these options will be crowded, especially during rush hours.

Weekend vs. weekday confusion

Weekdays (Feb. 15–March 15): Midtown Direct → Hoboken only. Buy tickets to/from Hoboken

Weekends: Midtown Direct trains will still run to Penn Station New York. Buy tickets to/from Penn Station New York

Monthly & one-way ticket changes riders must know

️💳 Monthly pass holders

Midtown Direct riders should buy passes to/from Hoboken. Those passes will be valid for New York Penn Station before Feb. 15 and after March 15. The passes will also be cross-honored on PATH, ferries, and buses during the cutover.

💳 One-way ticket riders

Weekdays during cutover: buy tickets to/from Hoboken

Weekends: buy tickets to/from Penn Station New York

NJ Transit says some riders could save up to 25% per trip by using Hoboken + PATH or ferry.

When will things return to normal?

Cutover work ends: Saturday, March 14

Regular schedules resume: Sunday, March 15 (pending final safety testing — delays are possible)

Why is this necessary?

NJ Transit riders will have to endure some commuting pain before enjoying the benefits of the new Portal North Bridge on the Northeast Corridor, as service will be cut by 50% for four weeks starting on Feb. 15, according to NJ Transit.

The final phase of construction of the new $1.5 billion Portal North Bridge is to switch over the signals, switches, and overhead wires from the old bridge to the new one.

NJ Transit officials said only one track will be available between Newark and Secaucus, which will require the temporary reduction in service and adjustments to the schedules of NJ Transit's trains running in and out of New York.

The new schedules are now available on the NJ Transit website and at stations. Officials said all NJ Transit lines will be affected except the Atlantic City Line.

During the four-week period, NJ Transit said that riders who use Midtown Direct trains on the Gladstone Branch, Morris & Essex, and Montclair-Boonton lines on weekdays will be diverted to Hoboken. From there, NJ Transit said they will have several options:

• Cross-honoring will be in effect with NY Waterway ferries between Hoboken Terminal and West 39th Street in Manhattan with enhanced service
• Cross-honoring will be in effect with PATH at Hoboken and 33rd Street only
• Riders can take NJ Transit's 126 bus to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal

On weekends, Midtown Direct trains will operate to and from the Port Authoity Bus Terminal, NJ Transit said.

ALSO READ: NJ leaders clash with ICE as enforcement operations widen

Construction crews race to finish bridge crossover

Amtrak President Roger Harris asked for the public's patience during the project. The bridge replacement work is being conducted by Amtrak, and will affect its riders as well.

"We're going to be asking our customers, both Jersey Transit and Amtrak customers, to be a little bit more patient for a few weeks while we work on integrating this new piece of infrastructure into our network," Harris said.

Preparation has been underway for months to minimize the actual work, which will take 40,000 man-hours to complete, according to project engineers. Track panels that have been preconstructed will be lifted into place to connect with the existing track. Crews will be working two shifts, seven days a week, with an average of 70 to 90 workers per shift.

The alternative service plan was built around three guiding principles: maximizing capacity, maintaining service on all lines, and upholding the highest levels of safety.

NJ Transit said the work is scheduled to be completed by March 14, with regular schedules resuming the next day or when safety testing is complete. The last piece of the crossover is Positive Train Control, which Kolluri concedes could delay completion.

"If we are not 100% sure on safety, and if we have to take a couple extra days to do it, we will do it, and I'll be the first one to explain to our customers why we're doing it," Kolluri said.

Report a correction | Contact our newsroom