Proposed Service Improvements Mean All PATH Lines Would Operate Seven Days a Week for First Time in 25 Years
Hoboken Would Receive Dedicated Service on Weekends, Eliminating Extra Stop for Riders Traveling to and from Jersey City
Weekday Rush Hours Would Also See Boost with More Trains on Hoboken-World Trade Center and Newark-World Trade Center Lines
To Help Pay for Sweeping System Improvements, Port Authority Proposes Gradual $0.25 Fare Increases Starting in Summer 2026
Major news regarding the PATH system was announced by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Thursday, as proposed plans to make major service increases across the rail system, beginning in 2026, following completion of the agency’s comprehensive PATH Forward rehabilitation program were revealed. When its package of extensive service improvements is fully implemented, PATH – for the first time in 25 years – will offer service on every line, every day.
The return of seven-day service on all four PATH lines is a major milestone in the Port Authority’s long-term modernization of the 117-year-old railroad. Riders will see the first phase of these changes implemented in March 2026 following completion of the $430 million PATH Forward initiative. The enhanced service options will deliver faster, more direct travel for weekend customers as well as shorter wait times during weekday rush hours, offering riders a more reliable and convenient experience across all lines and all days of the week.
Following the substantial completion of major work associated with PATH Forward, the proposed service increases would be implemented in phases starting in March 2026. Additional service enhancements are scheduled for May 2026 and March 2027.
Timeline of weekend/off-peak service changes:
· March 2026: Service on the Journal Square-33 St via Hoboken line will double on weekends between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., with trains every 10 minutes instead of every 20 minutes.
· May 2026: Dedicated Hoboken service to World Trade Center and 33 St will resume on weekends for the first time since 2001, streamlining travel for Hoboken riders and eliminating an extra stop on the Journal Square-33 St line for Jersey City riders. The Journal Square-33 St and Hoboken-33 St lines will operate every 10 minutes and Hoboken-WTC will operate every 20 mins from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
· May 2026: Enhanced late-night Friday service, with trains every 20 minutes instead of every 40 minutes between 11:30 p.m. Friday and 2 a.m. Saturday on all lines.
· March 2027: Increased weekend service on the Newark-World Trade Center and Hoboken-World Trade Center lines from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with trains running every 10-15 minutes.
Weekday service changes:
· March 2026: Hoboken-World Trade Center line frequency will improve to every six minutes during morning rush hour, a 33 percent service increase to 10 trains per hour.
· March 2027: Newark-World Trade Center line frequency will improve to every four minutes during morning and evening rush hours, a 25 percent service increase delivering 15 trains per hour.
The changes result from widespread rider feedback that the Port Authority received during the PATH Forward initiative and a thorough review of ridership trends. As the program concludes in early 2026, PATH will take advantage of newly rehabilitated and renewed tracks, switches and stations to deliver dramatically improved service.
In order to run direct service on the weekends and allow for adequate maintenance schedules, the Journal Square-33 St via Hoboken service that currently starts at 11 p.m. on Monday to Friday nights, will start at 10 p.m. beginning in fall 2026.
“For more than a century, PATH has evolved alongside the region it serves, and this service expansion marks the start of a new, exciting chapter in that story,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “With PATH Forward drawing to a close, the critical work that was part of that program has allowed us to propose restoring seven-day-a-week service across every line for the first time in a generation alongside other major service upgrades. This is a tangible sign of how far PATH has come and how ready it now is to meet the demands of the future.”
“Every decision we’ve made with PATH has been guided by one principle: putting our riders first,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “The Port Authority has received an enormous amount of feedback. Customers told us where they want shorter waits, more options, and better reliability across both weekdays and weekends. These proposed service increases are the direct result of that feedback and of years of focused investment in our infrastructure that will deliver a safer, faster and more comfortable experience.”
“Behind the scenes, PATH teams have been working tirelessly to rebuild and modernize this 117-year-old system from the ground up,” said PATH Director/General Manager Clarelle DeGraffe. “From replacing decades-old track and switch infrastructure to upgrading stations and railcars, every project has been aimed at creating a stronger foundation for better service. Thanks to that effort and the patience of our riders, we’re now in a position to propose meaningful service improvements across all lines and all days of the week.”
Unique among major transit systems, PATH operations do not receive dedicated state or federal funds. PATH fares currently cover only about a quarter of the actual cost of each ride, with the Port Authority subsidizing the remaining 75 percent. To sustain operations and fund these major service increases, the Port Authority evaluated several revenue options in developing its proposed 2026–2035 Capital Plan, which was introduced today at the monthly meeting of the Board of Commissioners. The 2026–2035 Capital Plan proposes a fare increase of $0.25 in summer 2026, with additional $0.25 increases each January from 2027 through 2029.
The proposed capital plan would also fund the installation of all new uptown tracks and make critical infrastructure investments for faster and more reliable service.
Fare evasion is unacceptable, and the agency is committed to taking action to prevent it. As part of the proposed 2026–2035 Capital Plan, the agency will install new state-of-the-art fare gates to reduce fare evasion and ensure everyone pays their fair share. The plan also funds technology, including CCTV and artificial intelligence, to identify patterns of fare evasion and develop more efficient and targeted strategies to deter fare evasion and enforce fare payment.
The service improvements outlined today were developed in direct response to robust rider feedback and community outreach efforts, and the results of a September 2025 survey of more than 1,000 PATH riders. Riders consistently identified weekday rush hour and weekend daytime service as their top priorities for improved frequency.
These systemwide enhancements represent a major milestone in the Port Authority’s modernization efforts, made possible by years of concentrated work to rehabilitate the system’s aging infrastructure. PATH Forward facilitated comprehensive track repair and replacement, modernization of bridges, railcars and other critical infrastructure, and the rehabilitation of four major stations: Hoboken, Grove St, Newport, and Exchange Pl. The enhancements also build on previous efforts to grow capacity, including last year’s introduction of nine-car service for all trains on the Newark-World Trade Center line increasing capacity on the line by 12.5 percent.
Beyond service increases, PATH is planning additional initiatives to further streamline and modernize the passenger experience, including expansion of the popular TAPP tap-to-go fare payment system.
PATH has seen significant ridership growth in recent months, including its second-busiest month since the pandemic in September 2025 when it carried 5.5 million passengers. This was 79 percent of pre-pandemic September 2019 ridership, a new high for the system. Nearly 218,000 customers rode PATH during the average weekday in September, a new post-pandemic record for the system. Weekend ridership continues to match or exceed pre-pandemic figures at about 118,000 Saturday riders and 86,000 Sunday riders in September 2025.