Portal Bridge service disruption: four weeks of rail changes

Rail passengers are being warned that the Portal Bridge service disruption will mean about four weeks of reduced and adjusted service for NJ Transit and Amtrak as crews complete the new Portal Bridge crossing of the Hackensack River, as described by Railway Supply. The nearly $2 billion project is a key link for commuters, but moving off the existing 111-year-old bridge will temporarily reshape schedules and travel patterns.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri said the aim is to improve service for customers, even if the changeover causes short-term disruption. The Portal Bridge cutover is scheduled for Feb. 15 through March 14, according to NJ TRANSIT’s Portal Bridge Cutover page.

Portal Bridge cutover Feb. 15 to March 14: what changes for riders

During the cutover window, every NJ Transit rail line except Atlantic City will be impacted. For many riders, that translates into NJ Transit reduced rail service and fewer trains than usual.

For Midtown Direct commuters, the plan brings a fundamental shift in how they reach New York. The change affects the Morris & Essex Line, the Gladstone Branch and the Montclair-Boonton Line. Kolluri said that, five days a week, trains will run to Hoboken, where riders can connect via the 126 bus line and the ferry system, plus PATH, with cross-honoring in place.

Northeast Corridor Newark–Penn Station New York disruption

The Northeast Corridor Newark–Penn Station New York segment also sees a major reduction. Kolluri said 332 trains currently use the corridor between Newark and Penn Station New York, but during the four-week period traffic will be reduced by 50%.

Amtrak service cuts Philadelphia–New York are part of the same outage. The biggest adjustment is a drop from 24 daily trains between Philadelphia and New York to 10 during the disruption.

Work scope: catenary poles removal and track installation work

Work planned for the Portal Bridge outage includes removing catenary poles and foundations and installing new railroad infrastructure. Crews are scheduled to work two shifts per day, seven days a week to stay on schedule.

Amtrak President Roger Harris said he is “very confident” and that the outage has been planned for more than a year, with recovery days built in to account for weather and potential technical issues, as noted in Amtrak’s project update.

This outage is intended to open one track on the new bridge. A second outage is planned in October—after the FIFA World Cup and before Thanksgiving—to complete the second track and fully open the new Portal Bridge.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed: