Portal North Bridge opening next week means full, faster service for N.J. commuters

"Again and again we saw the commute get worse and worse, degrading over time. This is such a key part of the project, and this alone, I think, will really make commuters' lives better as we end those years of signal delays."

"Going faster over this bridge is going to reduce the trip time getting into New York Penn, and we're going to have more reliability. This new bridge will improve operations along the Northeast Corridor for decades to come, and we couldn't be happier for Amtrak or NJT."

"The bridge is but one part of the massive Gateway Project to double the number of rail lines between New York and New Jersey and overhaul the century-old Pennsylvania Railroad infrastructure across the Meadowlands."

Portal North Bridge, a newly constructed span over the Hackensack River, opens for passenger service on Sunday as part of the Gateway Project. The bridge features 2.5 miles of new track, signaling, and overhead power lines, allowing trains to reach speeds of 90 mph—30 mph faster than the century-old Portal Bridge it supplements. The project addresses decades of signal and overhead-wire issues that have degraded commuter service on the Northeast Corridor. This infrastructure upgrade represents the first phase of a larger initiative to double rail lines between New York and New Jersey and modernize Pennsylvania Railroad infrastructure across the Meadowlands, promising improved reliability and reduced travel times for commuters.

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