The Gateway Switch: Portal North Bridge “Cutover” to Spark Month-Long Rail Disruptions
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the wait for a more reliable Northeast Corridor is almost over, but New Jersey commuters will have to endure one final “patience test” first.
Starting February 13, 2026, Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT will begin the critical “cutover” process to transfer rail service from the 114-year-old, failure-prone Portal Bridge to the brand-new Portal North Bridge. While this marks a historic milestone for the $1.5 billion Gateway Program, it comes with a catch: four weeks of significant service changes affecting nearly every rail line in the state.
