Expect significant crowding at Hoboken PATH
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Planning your commute between New Jersey and New York City just got a bit more complicated. Due to essential Amtrak work on the new Portal North Bridge, significant service changes are coming to NJ TRANSIT and PATH starting Tuesday, February 17, through Friday, March 13, 2026.
If you usually take the Midtown Direct service or travel through Hoboken, here is everything you need to know to navigate the upcoming disruptions.
The Big Change: Midtown Direct Terminates at Hoboken
To facilitate the transfer of rail operations to the newly constructed Portal North Bridge, NJ TRANSIT’s Midtown Direct rail service will not run to New York Penn Station. Instead, these trains will terminate at Hoboken.
During this period, all rail services using the Portal Bridge to cross the Hackensack River will operate on a single track between Newark and Secaucus. This will result in reduced weekday service frequency across the entire corridor, including lines into and out of New York Penn Station.
Travel Alternatives for Manhattan-Bound Riders
NJ TRANSIT customers heading to NYC from the Morristown Line, Gladstone Branch, and Montclair-Boonton trains have several options from Hoboken:
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PATH Trains: While PATH plans to increase service, expect significant crowding at Hoboken PATH, as well as Newark Penn, Exchange Place, Newport, Grove St, and 33 St.
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NJ TRANSIT Bus No. 126: Direct service from Hoboken to the Midtown Bus Terminal.
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NY Waterway Ferry: Service between Hoboken and Midtown Manhattan.
Ticket Note: NJ TRANSIT is cross-honoring rail tickets and passes for affected lines at designated PATH turnstiles (Hoboken and 33 St) and on NY Waterway ferry service.
Official Advice: Work from Home
NJ TRANSIT and transit officials are strongly encouraging commuters to work remotely to the greatest extent possible. If you must travel, try to commute outside of weekday peak hours to avoid the heaviest crowding conditions.
Station Impacts and Safety
Hoboken’s PATH station is expected to be the busiest hub for Manhattan-bound riders. To manage the crowds, additional PATH customer service staff and Port Authority police officers will be deployed to help with station egress and passenger flow.
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Tags: #NJTransit #PATH #CommuterAlert #PortalBridge #Amtrak #Hoboken #NYCCommute #TransitNews #NJNews
