PORTAL NORTH BRIDGE ENTERS FINAL PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION AS WORK BEGINS TO PUT FINAL TRACK INTO SERVICE

Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT Begin Final “Cutover” Work to Transfer Service to New Portal North Bridge and Announce Temporary Service Changes to Accommodate Work.

September 17, 2026

NEWARK, NJ — Beginning October 9, Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT will perform critical work to transfer the final track from the 116-old Portal Bridge to the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River. Once complete, rail operations will resume in full service over the new bridge, retiring the old bridge. The work is essential to advancing long-term reliability and capacity improvements on the Northeast Corridor.

PORTAL NORTH BRIDGE ENTERS FINAL PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION AS WORK BEGINS TO PUT FINAL TRACK INTO SERVICE imageWhile the transfer, or “Cutover,” of Amtrak-owned wires and electrical systems will ultimately deliver substantial benefits, it means customers on all rail lines except the Atlantic City Rail Line will experience temporary adjustments to rail service beginning on Sunday, October 11 and continuing for approximately five weeks. Expect modified train schedules to include some train consolidations or cancellations, and others with changed departure times and/or stopping patterns. 

Concurrently, critical work on three rail lines will occur to utilize reduced train traffic and avoid impacting customers again at a later date:

  • North Jersey Coast Line: Work on the moveable bridge at Brielle is scheduled to begin on October 11 and continue for two weeks. Busing will be provided for customers between Bay Head and Manasquan during this time.
  • Port Jervis Line: Customers will have substitute busing on weekdays from October 11 through November 14 to accommodate track maintenance between Suffern and Port Jervis stations.  Eight weekday midday off-peak trains will be replaced by buses, with rail connections at Ramsey Rt 17.
  • Raritan Valley Line: Buses will replace trains between Cranford and Newark on Saturday, November 7 to accommodate Conrail track replacement work. 

Similarly, Amtrak is utilizing the reduced-traffic opportunity to perform eight additional critical maintenance projects across the Northeast Corridor, in six states and Washington, DC.

Regular schedules are expected to resume on Sunday, November 15 – subject to the completion of safety testing.

The adjusted schedules, released today, go into effect on Sunday, October 11. (View adjusted schedules, as well as links to alternate public transportation options by rail line at njtransit.com/portalcutover, or by clicking HERE).

NJ TRANSIT worked closely with Amtrak and regional partners to develop a customer-focused service plan prioritizing capacity, continuity and safety.

"Five weeks of adjusted schedules will deliver a modern, high-level bridge that ends a century of swing-bridge delays for customers traveling the Northeast Corridor to and from New York," said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri. "We worked closely with Amtrak on a service plan that maximizes capacity and keeps every rail line running, and we thank our customers for their patience as we complete the final step of this long-awaited project."

“As we enter this second and final Cutover for Portal North Bridge, we're building on the success of the first one, to deliver tangible results and benefits to New Jersey visitors and residents,” said Amtrak Interim President Byl Herrmann. “After the success of the first Cutover, we followed that up with outstanding service during the World Cup, and we are going to conclude the third major event for us this year on a high note with the second Cutover the same way by proving what this joint team can accomplish when we work together.”

All NJ TRANSIT rail customers (except Atlantic City Rail Line) are strongly encouraged to view the temporary schedules at njtransit.com/portalcutover as all lines (except ACRL) will experience modifications to their regular schedules.

NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak leveraged three core principles in developing its service plan, minimizing impacts to customers to the greatest extent possible, while contending with the operational realities during the cutover period.

  • Maximizing Capacity and Seat Availability
  • Maintaining Service on All Rail Lines
  • Upholding the Highest Standards of Safety

While disruptive in the short term, these temporary service adjustments are necessary to ensure a safe and successful transition to the new bridge infrastructure.

ATTN: Midtown Direct Customers 

Weekday Midtown Direct trains on the Morris & Essex (M&E), Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Line will be diverted to Hoboken. Weekend Midtown Direct trains will operate to/from PSNY.

Weekday Travel

  • For travel to/from New York on weekdays, Midtown Direct customers on the M&E, Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Line should purchase tickets/passes with a destination of Hoboken in lieu of New York. For Midtown Direct customers with Hoboken as a destination on their tickets/passes, the following options will be available for travel between Hoboken and Midtown Manhattan:
    • Cross-honoring with NY Waterway ferries will be in effect on weekdays between Hoboken Terminal and W. 39th St. in Midtown Manhattan only.
      • Ferry service to Midtown Manhattan will be enhanced during the morning and evening peak periods
    • NJ TRANSIT’s 126 bus to/from Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT)
    • Cross-honoring will be in effect with PATH at Hoboken and 33rd Street only.

Weekend Travel

  • For travel to/from New York on weekends, Midtown Direct customers on the M&E, Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Line using Hoboken monthly or weekly passes or a FLEXPASS can use those passes for travel to/from PSNY.
  • Customers using one way tickets will need to purchase those tickets with a destination of PSNY. Hoboken one way tickets will not be accepted for travel to PSNY on weekends.

ATTN: Raritan Valley Line Customers

  • All Raritan Valley Line one-seat rides to/from PSNY will originate and terminate at Newark Penn Station during the temporary schedule adjustment period.

Travel Advice:

Portal North Bridge – Project Background

The Portal North Bridge is a new modern two-track, high-level, fixed-span bridge that will improve service and capacity along this section of the Northeast Corridor. The new Portal North Bridge rises 50 feet over the Hackensack River, doubling the height clearance and allows marine traffic to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic.

The project eliminates the 116-year-old swing bridge, which has been the enduring source of major service disruptions for NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak customers traveling on the Northeast Corridor. The new bridge provides:

  • Improved reliability and fewer bridge-related delays
  • Increased operational resilience along the Northeast Corridor
  • A modern structure designed to support future capacity growth

Once complete, all rail traffic to and from New York City will use the new bridge. The original bridge will be permanently removed from service as the new bridge will accommodate all traffic.

The project is funded primarily by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the State of New Jersey and Amtrak. In January 2021, former Governor Murphy announced the signing of a Full Funding Grant Agreement which secured $766.5 million in Federal Transit Administration funding to support the project’s construction.

In October 2021, former Governor Murphy and NJ TRANSIT announced the approval of a $1,559,993,000 construction contract awarded to Skanska/Traylor Bros PNB Joint Venture (STJV) for the construction of the new Portal North Bridge. The contract represents the single largest construction award in NJ TRANSIT’s history.

 

The Portal North Bridge project spans 2.44 miles of the Northeast Corridor line and includes construction of retaining walls, deep foundations, concrete piers, structural steel bridge spans, rail systems, demolition of the existing bridge, and related incidental works. The project is a critical component of the larger Gateway Program, which will eventually double rail capacity between Newark and New York.

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 264 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 165 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.