Amtrak, NJ Transit begin Portal Bridge cutover process

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say that passengers on the MTA Metro-North Railroad — not the MTA Long Island Rail Road — West of Hudson service may face delayed or altered connections to NJ Transit trains. 

Amtrak crews on Feb. 14 began transferring rail operations from one track on the existing 114-year-old Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey to track on the newly constructed Portal North Bridge.

During the month-long cutover work, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak trains are only able to operate on a single track between Newark and Secaucus, New Jersey, resulting in significant cuts and delays to passenger-rail service, NJ Transit officials said in a press release. 

Amtrak anticipates completing the cutover work on March 14. The service switchover is the final phase of project construction and also marks a milestone in the Gateway Program, a series of rail infrastructure projects designed to double passenger-rail service capacity along the Northeast Corridor.

The scope of work includes deactivation of infrastructure on the old bridge; reconfiguration and activation of new track alignments; integration of new signaling, power and communication systems; and testing and commissioning of interlockings and safety systems on the new bridge, NJ Transit officials said.

Amtrak has adjusted over 280 train schedules for the construction work. Weekday service has been reduced on the Acela, Northeast Regional and Keystone services. Seven NJ Transit route schedules have been adjusted. Specific schedules can be found on the NJ Transit Portal Cutover webpage. NJ Transit ambassadors and extra signage are helping direct passengers during rush hours.

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority also issued a notice that the cutover will impact MTA Metro-North Railroad riders traveling to and from New York Penn Station. Metro-North's NJ Transit-operated West of Hudson service connects to NJ Transit at the Secaucus, New Jersey, station. Arrival and departure times of NJ Transit trains at the station will vary, MTA officials said.