Portal North Bridge construction and rail service disruption

NJ Transit and Amtrak have entered the final phase of a $2.3 billion infrastructure project to replace the century-old Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River with the new Portal North Bridge. The construction process, which began in early October 2026, is expected to last approximately five weeks, with regular service anticipated to resume around November 15.

To facilitate the cutover, significant rail service adjustments have been implemented. Most NJ Transit lines, excluding the Atlantic City Rail Line, are subject to schedule changes, cancellations, and station modifications. Notably, weekday Midtown Direct trains on the Morris & Essex, Gladstone Branch, and Montclair-Boonton lines are being diverted to Hoboken instead of terminating at New York Penn Station. Passengers traveling to Manhattan must utilize alternative transport, such as PATH trains, NY Waterway ferries, or NJ Transit buses.

Additional service impacts include potential shuttle bus transfers for the North Jersey Coast, Port Jervis, and Raritan Valley lines, while Amtrak conducts maintenance on eight tracks along the Northeast Corridor. The project aims to decommission the 1910 bridge to improve long-term transit reliability and eliminate existing bottlenecks.