# Reroute NJ > Portal North Bridge cutover resources for NJ Transit riders. Phase 1 archive (Feb 15 – Mar 15, 2026) and Phase 2 preparation tools in 11 languages. Reroute NJ provided guidance for the roughly 300,000 daily NJ Transit rail commuters affected by the Portal North Bridge construction cutover. During Phase 1 (Feb 15 – Mar 15, 2026), approximately 50% of NJ Transit trains between New Jersey and New York Penn Station were cut. All rail lines except the Atlantic City Rail Line were affected. Phase 2 is expected fall 2026. The cutover was caused by Amtrak transferring the first of two tracks from the 115-year-old Portal Bridge to the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River in Kearny, NJ. This was Phase 1 of the Gateway Program milestone. ## Tools - [Line guide](https://reroutenj.org/index.html): See how your NJ Transit line and station were affected during the Phase 1 cutover - [Commute comparison](https://reroutenj.org/compare.html): Side-by-side comparison of alternative routes to Manhattan (PATH, ferry, bus) with visual time breakdowns and costs - [News coverage](https://reroutenj.org/coverage.html): Feed of Portal Bridge cutover reporting from 15+ regional news sources, filterable by line, direction, and category - [Interactive map](https://reroutenj.org/map.html): OpenStreetMap-based map showing the Portal Bridge location, all affected stations, and key transfer hubs - [Embed and share](https://reroutenj.org/embed.html): Free embed codes for newsrooms and publishers to republish any Reroute NJ tool on their websites ## Key facts - Phase 1: February 15 to March 15, 2026 (complete) - Cause: Amtrak transferring first track from old Portal Bridge to new Portal North Bridge - Impact: Approximately 50% service reduction between Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station - Affected lines: Montclair-Boonton Line, Morris & Essex Lines, Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line, Raritan Valley Line - Not affected: Atlantic City Rail Line - Hoboken diversions: Montclair-Boonton and Morris & Essex weekday trains rerouted to Hoboken Terminal instead of New York Penn Station - Alternative transit from Hoboken: PATH train to 33rd St (~15 min, every 3-5 min rush hour), NY Waterway ferry to W. 39th St (~10 min), Bus 126 to Port Authority (~30-45 min) - Phase 2: Expected fall 2026 (second track cutover, dates TBA) ## Line-by-line impact summary - **Montclair-Boonton Line**: Weekday trains were diverted to Hoboken Terminal. PATH, ferry, or bus served as alternatives to reach Manhattan. - **Morris & Essex Lines (Morristown, Gladstone)**: Weekday trains were diverted to Hoboken Terminal. Same alternatives as Montclair-Boonton. - **Northeast Corridor**: Frequency was reduced. Trains still ran to New York Penn Station but with fewer departures and possible delays at Secaucus. - **North Jersey Coast Line**: Frequency was reduced. Same route but fewer trains. Extra travel time was needed. - **Raritan Valley Line**: All one-seat rides to Penn Station NY were suspended. All trains terminated at Newark Penn Station. Transfers to reduced-frequency NEC trains were required to reach Penn Station NY (added 15-30 min). ## Blog The blog index is at [blog.html](https://reroutenj.org/blog.html). Individual posts live at `blog/{slug}.html`. Current posts: [The new Portal North Bridge is open](https://reroutenj.org/blog/bridge-opens.html), [The cutover starts today](https://reroutenj.org/blog/cutover-begins.html), [The new embed system](https://reroutenj.org/blog/new-embed-system.html), [Why we built Reroute NJ](https://reroutenj.org/blog/why-we-built-reroute-nj.html). Both the index and posts are translated into all 11 languages. ## Embeds for publishers Newsrooms and publishers can embed Reroute NJ tools on their websites using four formats: - **Info cards**: Compact cards showing line impact, station details, or a cutover summary. URL: `card.html?type=line&line=montclair-boonton` - **Interactive widgets**: Mini versions of the line guide, comparison tool, news feed, or map. URL: `widget.html?tool=line-guide` - **Full tools**: Complete tool pages with header/footer hidden. Append `?embed=true` to any tool URL. - **Script tag**: Drop-in `` All embed types support `&theme=dark` and `&accent=HEX` customization. The [embed configurator](https://reroutenj.org/embed.html) generates copy-paste code, downloadable PNG images, and self-contained HTML files. ## Translations Available in 11 languages: English, Spanish (Espanol), Chinese (中文), Tagalog, Korean (한국어), Portuguese (Portugues), Gujarati (ગુજરાતી), Hindi (हिंदी), Italian (Italiano), Arabic (العربية), Polish (Polski) ## Sources & verification All data on this site is traceable to official sources. Last verified: March 13, 2026. - **Train counts, schedules, cross-honoring, FLEXPASS**: [NJ Transit: Portal Bridge Cutover](https://www.njtransit.com/portalcutover) - **Cutover details, engineering scope, Phase 2 timeline**: [NJ Transit/Amtrak joint press release](https://www.njtransit.com/press-releases/portal-north-bridge-enters-final-phase-construction-work-begins-put-first-track) - **Amtrak operations, bridge history**: [Amtrak: Portal North Bridge press release](https://media.amtrak.com/2026/01/portal-north-bridge-enters-final-phase-of-construction-as-work-begins-to-put-first-track-into-service/) - **PATH schedules and fares**: [Port Authority of NY & NJ](https://www.panynj.gov/path/en/schedules-maps.html) - **Ferry schedules**: [NY Waterway: Hoboken / Midtown](https://www.nywaterway.com/HobokenMidtown.aspx) - **NJ Transit fares**: [NJ Transit fares page](https://www.njtransit.com/fares) - **Gateway Program context**: [Gateway Development Commission](https://www.gatewayprogram.org/) - **Travel alerts**: [NJ Transit travel alerts](https://www.njtransit.com/travel-alerts-to) - **Structured citation database**: [data/sources.json](https://github.com/jamditis/reroute-nj/blob/main/data/sources.json) (machine-readable, 28 verified claims with source links) ## Methodology Full details: [About our methodology](https://reroutenj.org/about.html) - Translations are AI-assisted and reviewed for natural phrasing. Station names, line names, and place names stay in English to match physical signage. - All transit data is traceable to official NJ Transit, Amtrak, PATH, and NY Waterway sources via a structured citation database. - 985+ automated tests verify data accuracy, HTML integrity, translation completeness, and accessibility compliance before every deploy. - The site meets WCAG 2.1 AA with high contrast mode, simplified view, keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and RTL layout for Arabic. ## About Reroute NJ is an independent, open-source community project created by Joe Amditis at the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by NJ Transit, Amtrak, or any government agency. Source code: https://github.com/jamditis/reroute-nj (MIT License).