New Jersey’s Five-Week Single-Track Squeeze Is Finally Ending

For five weeks, every train on one of the busiest stretches of railroad in North America has been funnelled onto a single track between Newark and Secaucus. That squeeze is now ending. Amtrak, NJ Transit and the Skanska/Traylor Bros. joint venture building the new Portal North Bridge in Kearny have completed the second and final cutover to the new span, working through nights, weekends and holidays to get it done.

The new bridge replaces the century-old Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River, a swing bridge long notorious for getting stuck and delaying trains along the Northeast Corridor. Moving service onto the replacement required taking tracks out of use in stages, which is why commuters have spent the autumn on diverted and thinned-out schedules.

Since October 12, weekday Midtown Direct trains on NJ Transit’s Morris & Essex, Gladstone and Montclair-Boonton lines have been running to Hoboken instead of New York Penn Station, with PATH, NY Waterway and NJ Transit buses cross-honouring tickets. ABC7 reports that NJ Transit returns to normal schedules on Sunday, November 15, while Amtrak and trade press point to Monday, November 16, for full service.

Riders should still expect some friction in the first days back. NJ Transit has warned of delays of up to 20 minutes while final testing on the bridge is completed. Anyone travelling between New Jersey and Manhattan this week, including Amtrak passengers heading to or from Penn Station ahead of Thanksgiving, would be wise to check real-time departures before leaving home.

Sources: Amtrak Media, ABC7 New York