Full Notification

Due to NJ Transit construction on the Portal Bridge, weekday Midtown Direct trains will end in Hoboken instead of the New York Penn Station from Oct. 11 through Nov. 16, bringing additional riders to Hoboken.

Hoboken residents and regular bus, PATH, and ferry riders should expect additional crowding and longer travel times during weekday morning and evening peak periods. 

NJ TRANSIT customers who normally take Midtown Direct trains directly into Manhattan will need to transfer in Hoboken and continue their trip by one of several options: 

• PATH: Hoboken to 33 St. or World Trade Center 
• NJ TRANSIT Bus No. 126: Hoboken to the Midtown Bus Terminal 
• NY Waterway Ferry: Hoboken to Midtown Manhattan 

PATH service  

The Hoboken PATH station is expected to be the busiest location for diverted Manhattan-bound commuters, particularly during the morning peak. 

PATH has announced that it will add service to help accommodate the additional riders: 

• 7 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. weekdays: Hoboken–33 St. trains will run approximately every 6 minutes, compared with the usual 8-minute wait.
• 4 p.m. –7 p.m. weekdays: Additional service will operate on the Hoboken–33 St and Hoboken–World Trade Center lines, reducing scheduled waits to approximately 6 minutes. 

Even with the additional trains, PATH riders should expect temporary crowding at Hoboken and potentially at other stations during peak commuting hours. 

PATH customer service staff and Port Authority police officers will be deployed at stations to assist with crowds and congestion, including at station exits and other high-traffic areas. 

NY Waterway ferry service  

• NY Waterway will have enhanced service during peak periods  

NJ TRANSIT  bus service 

• Starting Oct,13, extra 126 bus service will be provided to help accommodate crowding between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Thursdays, with 40 additional NYC-bound runs added to Clinton Street service and Washington Street service north of 11th Street.  
• NJ Transit notes that bus service will be approximately every 2 minutes between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.  

Why is this happening? 

The service change is tied to the final phase of construction on Amtrak’s Portal North Bridge, which carries rail traffic over the Hackensack River between Newark and Secaucus. 

During the work, rail services using the Portal Bridge corridor will operate on a single track, reducing capacity for NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak trains traveling into and out of New York Penn Station. 

What should commuters do? 

If you normally use the bus, PATH, or ferry, plan for extra travel time and crowding, particularly during the morning and evening rush. 

If your trip is flexible, consider traveling outside the peak periods.  

The service changes are scheduled to affect weekday Midtown Direct service from Oct. 11 through Nov. 16.  

For the latest NJ TRANSIT schedules and travel alerts, go to www.njtransit.com/travel-alerts-to. 

For PATH advisories, go to www.panynj.gov/path/en/alerts.html  

For NY Waterway advisories, go to www.nywaterway.com/AdvisoriesAlerts.aspx