Millburn and Short Hills commuters who ride NJ Transit's Midtown Direct service to Penn Station will need to reroute through Hoboken on weekdays through Saturday, Nov. 14.

The diversion, which began Sunday, Oct. 11, affects all weekday Midtown Direct trains on the Morristown Line, Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Line. Amtrak and NJ Transit are transferring the second and final track from the 116-year-old Portal Bridge to the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River in Kearny, according to NJ Transit's cutover page.

Amtrak said on their website this cutover marks a major milestone in the Gateway Program that is essential to advancing long-term reliability and capacity improvements along the Northeast Corridor.

The work limits trains to a single track between Newark and Secaucus, cutting NJ Transit service between those stations by 50%, NJ.com reported.

Weekend service continues as normal.

How to get to Manhattan

Once trains arrive in Hoboken, commuters can connect to Manhattan three ways. NJ Transit tickets and passes purchased to Hoboken will be cross-honored on:

  • PATH from Hoboken to 33rd Street station only. Riders boarding at any other PATH station will need a separate PATH fare.
  • NY Waterway ferry from Hoboken to Midtown's West 39th Street Pier 79, with enhanced morning and evening peak service.
  • NJ Transit's 126 bus from Hoboken to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, including additional Academy Bus coaches on the route.

What pass holders should do

Monthly, weekly and FlexPass customers traveling to Manhattan on weekdays should purchase passes to and from Hoboken via Newark Broad Street, NJ Transit said. Those passes will also be valid for travel to Penn Station outside the cutover window: Oct. 1–10 and Nov. 15–30.

One-way ticket buyers should purchase tickets to Hoboken on weekdays during the cutover period. On weekends, riders should buy tickets to Penn Station as usual.

NJ Transit said that buying Hoboken-destination tickets and using PATH or the ferry could save riders up to 25% per trip, depending on their origin station.

Plan for extra time

NJ Transit is urging riders who can work from home to do so. For those who must commute, the agency recommends traveling before 7 a.m. or after 9 a.m. on weekday mornings and before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m. on weekday evenings.

"Due to the interdependent nature of these systems, the work must occur within defined time windows and requires temporary reductions in train service to support the work," NJ Transit spokesperson Jim Smith told NJ.com.

Cross-honored services at Hoboken may experience significant crowding during peak hours, NJ Transit warned. The agency said it will station additional staff at Hoboken, Penn Station New York and the 33rd Street and World Trade Center PATH stations. Riders with mobility needs should notify their train conductor in advance.

The Township of Millburn posted an alert advising residents of the changes.

Why the disruption

The cutover is part of the $2.3 billion Portal North Bridge project, a piece of the broader Gateway Program along the Northeast Corridor. The first track was moved to the new bridge in February. This round finishes the job by transferring the remaining track, deactivating the old bridge's infrastructure and testing new signaling, power and safety systems.

Officials scheduled the work after the World Cup games in June and July and before Thanksgiving travel, NJ.com reported.

Regular weekday Midtown Direct service is expected to resume Sunday, Nov. 15, subject to completion of safety testing. Full schedules are available at njtransit.com/portalcutover.