On Monday morning, October 12, train 6610 left Madison Station at 6:18 a.m. and was due at Hoboken Terminal at 7:09. That's about 51 minutes, and the river is still ahead of you. On the regular weekday schedule NJ Transit printed as of August 30, a 6:08 departure from Madison reached New York Penn Station in about 36 minutes.
That gap of about 15 minutes, plus a ferry, PATH or bus transfer, is what the Portal North Bridge cutover costs a Madison commuter. It runs for five weeks, on weekdays only. The same rules that send your train to Hoboken also make your October and November pass cheaper, and your Saturday train still goes to Penn Station.
What changed, and for how long
TAPinto Madison reported on October 11 that Amtrak is starting the final phase of work to put the second track into service on the new Portal North Bridge. Temporary schedules run through Saturday, November 14. Regular schedules are expected back on Sunday, November 15, pending safety testing.
Starting Monday, October 12, every weekday Midtown Direct train on the Morris & Essex Line, the Gladstone Branch and the Montclair-Boonton Line goes to Hoboken instead of Penn Station. Weekend Midtown Direct trains still run to and from Penn. NJ Transit says the modified schedules include earlier departures, lower frequency on some segments, and some trains combined or canceled. It has not published a list of which Madison trains are affected. If you ride a specific train out of habit, look it up on the cutover timetable instead of assuming it still runs.
For the October 12 morning, NJ Transit's trip planner listed these Madison departures to Hoboken:
| Early | Middle of the rush | Later |
|---|---|---|
| 6:18 a.m. | 7:09 a.m. | 8:08 a.m. |
| 6:27 a.m. | 7:32 a.m. | 8:32 a.m. |
| 6:46 a.m. | 7:46 a.m. | 8:47 a.m. |
| 9:10 a.m. |
This is a list of departures, not a count of everything that was cut, so it can't tell you how many trains Madison lost overall. It does show the spacing you have to work with between 6 and 9 a.m.
The second half of the trip starts at Hoboken Terminal
Once you're in Hoboken, a ticket or pass with Hoboken as its destination is honored on three routes into Manhattan. Each one ends somewhere different.
- NY Waterway ferry from Hoboken to Midtown at W. 39th Street, Pier 79. Your ticket also covers any of the five NY Waterway bus routes that leave from the Midtown ferry terminal. NJ Transit says it has added ferry service in the morning and evening rush.
- PATH from Hoboken to the 33rd Street station only. The ticket isn't honored at other PATH stops.
- NJ Transit Route 126 bus from Hoboken to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, including Academy buses running on the 126 route.
The right choice depends on where your office is. The ferry and its connecting buses serve the far west side of Midtown. PATH gets you closest to the Penn Station area you're used to, and the 126 ends at Port Authority. On its cutover page, NJ Transit asks riders to check schedules and allow extra time, and warns that the alternate options for Midtown Direct customers have limited capacity. We haven't found any published reports yet on how crowded the first days actually were.
The Hoboken pass still works at Penn on the right days
This is where the cutover helps Madison riders financially. For October and November, NJ Transit tells Midtown Direct monthly pass holders traveling to or from Penn Station to buy a monthly pass to Hoboken via Newark Broad Street instead. That Hoboken pass is valid all the way to Penn Station from October 1 to 10 and from November 15 to 30. From October 11 to November 14, it's honored on PATH, NY Waterway and NJ Transit buses from Hoboken into New York. The same rule applies to weekly passes and FLEXPASS. On cutover weekends, a valid Hoboken monthly or weekly pass is also honored to Penn.
So for those two months, a pass marked Hoboken works at Penn on every day a train goes there. Here's how the Madison fares compare under the table that took effect July 1, 2026:
| Madison fare | To New York Penn | To Hoboken | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way | $14.30 | $12.75 | $1.55 |
| Weekly | $123.50 | $109.50 | $14.00 |
| Monthly | $408.00 | $362.00 | $46.00 |
NJ Transit's cutover notices don't mention a separate refund or rebate. The gap between the two fares is the only price difference built into these rules. The agency says Hoboken tickets combined with PATH or ferry can save up to 25% per trip. It also has a 20-trip FLEXPASS on sale at a 15% discount.
One-way tickets follow stricter rules. From October 1 to 11 and November 15 to 30, one-way riders going to New York must buy Penn Station tickets. During the cutover, weekday one-way riders are told to buy Hoboken tickets. On weekends during the cutover, one-way riders to Penn must buy a Penn ticket, and a Hoboken one-way isn't accepted for that trip. If you only ride occasionally, the destination on your ticket depends on what day it is.
Weekends still end at Penn
Weekend Midtown Direct trains still go to Penn Station during the cutover. They aren't running on the usual clock, though. NorthJersey.com reported that weekend times may shift by up to 30 minutes, so check the departure before a Saturday trip into Manhattan. At home, the five weeks overlap closely with the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey production of Hamlet at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre on the Drew University campus, which the season page lists from October 11 to November 15, 2026. The show calendar adds a preview on October 10 and lists opening night on October 16 and a post-performance symposium on October 20. Both are a short trip from the station, on nights when your train home may be running on a stretched schedule. Hamlet closes the same Sunday regular rail service is expected back. The theater's holiday show, The Gifts of the Magi, runs December 5 to 27.
What the five weeks buy
This cutover moves the second and final track onto the new Portal North Bridge. In its September 17 announcement, NJ Transit said the finished bridge is a two-track, high-level fixed span meant to improve reliability and capacity, and that the century-old swing bridge it replaces will be retired from service. Every Midtown Direct train from Madison crosses this stretch of the Hackensack River, so these five weeks of Hoboken trains are the last step in replacing it.
The bigger capacity project is still years away. Amtrak's Gateway Program page lists the Hudson Tunnel Project as under construction, with estimated completion in 2035. The Gateway Program describes the project as building a new tunnel and rehabilitating the existing North River Tunnel. On its timeline, the new tunnel opens for service in 2035 and the North River Tunnel rehabilitation is done in 2038, which would eventually mean four tracks between New Jersey and New York instead of two. For now, the date that matters for Madison commuters is Sunday, November 15, when Midtown Direct weekday trains are scheduled to go back to Penn Station if safety testing is finished.
Many of the families I work with in Madison and Chatham pick their homes around the Morris & Essex Line, and weeks like these test that commute. If you're weighing how close to the station your next home should be, or you're getting ready to sell to buyers who'll ask about the train, Karen Torrente knows this line from the platform and is happy to talk it through. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
