Portal Cutover Service Changes: February 15, 2026 - March 15, 2026

Beginning February 15, 2026, service on all rail lines except the Atlantic City Rail Line will experience temporary schedule adjustments for approximately four weeks to accommodate Amtrak’s critical work to transfer one track of rail service onto the new Portal North Bridge. The modified train schedules include some train consolidations or cancellations, and others with changed departure times and/or stopping patterns.

The work marks a major milestone in the Gateway Program and is essential to advancing long-term reliability and capacity improvements on the Northeast Corridor. While this work will ultimately deliver substantial benefits, it is complex and operationally intensive work that will require temporary but significant changes to rail service. The adjusted schedules go into effect on Sunday, February 15. (View adjusted schedules, as well as links to alternate public transportation options by rail line at njtransit.com/portalcutover.

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

NOTE: Beginning at 10:00 PM on Friday, March 6, and continuing until 3:00 AM on Sunday, March 15, 2026, trains operating into and out of New York will be subject to delays of up to 20 minutes while Amtrak replaces key switches, which allow trains to move from one track to another, at the entrance of Penn Station New York. This work is being done in conjunction with the Portal Bridge cutover project while fewer trains are operating into and out of New York.

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 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. Ferry service to Midtown Manhattan will be enhanced during the morning and evening peak periods.
- Cross honoring will be in effect with NJ TRANSIT’s 126 bus to/from PABT.
PATH will be cross-honoring NJ TRANSIT tickets to 33rd Street Station.

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.

North Jersey Coast Line: