PATH adds rush-hour trains at Hoboken as every weekday Midtown Direct train heads there for five weeks

PATH will increase weekday rush-hour service at Hoboken Terminal from Monday, Oct. 12 through Friday, Nov. 13, the agency said Wednesday, as every NJ Transit Midtown Direct train on the Morristown Line, Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Line is diverted there instead of New York Penn Station. PATH warned riders to expect significantly higher passenger volumes and longer waits, and said customers who can should travel outside the morning peak of 7 to 9 a.m.

NJ Transit’s diversion runs longer on the calendar: starting Sunday, Oct. 11 through Saturday, Nov. 14, all weekday Midtown Direct trains on those three lines end at Hoboken. NJ Transit says the change is needed while Amtrak moves the second and final track onto the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River. During the work, trains can use only a single track between Newark and Secaucus. On weekends, Midtown Direct trains will still go straight to Penn Station. Monday, Oct. 12 is the first full weekday on the special schedule.

To get diverted riders into Manhattan, NJ Transit will accept Hoboken tickets and passes on PATH (between Hoboken and 33rd Street only), on NY Waterway ferries (Hoboken to Midtown/W. 39th St. Pier 79), and on the NJ Transit 126 bus between Hoboken and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. NJ Transit already warned those options “have limited capacity and may experience significant crowding during peak travel periods.” PATH’s Wednesday advisory confirms the PATH side of that squeeze — more trains at peak, but still crowded platforms and longer waits at Hoboken.

PATH did not say how many extra trains it will run. It told flexible riders that traveling before 7 a.m. or after 9 a.m. on weekdays will provide a more comfortable trip, and that peak travelers should allow extra time. NJ Transit gives the same morning window and also asks evening riders to go before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m. when they can. Both agencies suggest working from home if possible.

Train cuts on other lines, per NJ Transit’s briefing document: the Northeast Corridor drops from 133 weekday trains to 113, the North Jersey Coast Line from 99 to 87, Morristown/Gladstone from 148 to 139, and Montclair-Boonton from 64 to 60. NJ Transit is adding 44 weekday shuttle trips between Secaucus and Penn Station to keep Main, Bergen County, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis line connections. It is also putting extra staff in Hoboken, Secaucus and Penn Station New York.

Regular Midtown Direct schedules are expected back Sunday, Nov. 15, once safety testing is done. Line-by-line schedules are at njtransit.com/portalcutover.

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Hudson TV asks: With PATH adding rush-hour trains, will you leave Hoboken before 7 a.m. or ride the crowd at rush hour? Share your take in the comments.