Portal North Bridge Debut in New Jersey to Disrupt Amtrak Schedules

Commuters along the Northeast Corridor face a month of changes as the new bridge opens.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The long-awaited Portal North Bridge in New Jersey is nearing completion, but its debut will result in about a month of disruptions for hundreds of thousands of rail commuters along the Northeast Corridor. Starting this weekend, Amtrak will shift train traffic off the more than 100-year-old Portal Bridge and onto the new bridge over the Hackensack River, meaning schedule changes, slower and more crowded trains, and rerouted Midtown Direct service to Hoboken.

Why it matters

The aging Portal Bridge has been a notorious bottleneck causing delays up and down the busiest rail corridor in the U.S. for decades. While the month-long disruption will be an inconvenience, experts say the new bridge is a critical infrastructure upgrade that will improve reliability for commuters in the long run.

The details

During the four-week transition period, only one track will be open between Newark and Secaucus, leading to schedule changes and slower, more crowded trains. Midtown Direct service will be rerouted to Hoboken, and alternate routes like PATH trains, ferries, and the 126 Bus will also be impacted. Officials are urging commuters to plan ahead, check schedules, and work from home if possible.

  • The changes start this Sunday, February 12, 2026.
  • The new bridge is expected to open and regular schedules to resume on March 15, 2026.

The players

Sean Caldwell

A DJ who relies on the trains to bring his equipment into Manhattan for gigs a few nights a week.

Tom Wright

The president of the Regional Plan Association, who says the new bridge will remove one of the major bottlenecks on the busy Northeast Corridor.

Kris Kolluri

The president of NJ Transit, who says the new bridge is a critical infrastructure upgrade that will increase reliability after decades of the aging Portal Bridge causing problems.

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What they’re saying

“I'm bringing so much equipment into the city. Like, really, I'm taking up about two or three spaces of people, so it really affects me because I do want to be courteous to others.”

— Sean Caldwell, DJ (CBS News)

“This piece, while this doesn't kind of fix the whole corridor, what it does is it removes one of the bottlenecks, one of the causes of delays that have frustrated commuters for decades now.”

— Tom Wright, President, Regional Plan Association (CBS News)

“This bridge literally has not been in good shape for decades, and for the first time in 100 years, we're about to build a brand-new bridge and open a brand-new bridge so we can increase reliability.”

— Kris Kolluri, President, NJ Transit (CBS News)

What’s next

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The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.