PANYNJ to close PATH Hoboken Station for 25 days in early 2025

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) will close the PATH Hoboken station from late evening Jan. 30, 2025, to early morning Feb. 25, 2025, as part of the agency’s two-year, $430 million PATH Forward program.

During the closure, the PANYNJ will carry out critical safety repairs and improvements across several elements of the 116-year-old system. PANYNJ says the full station closure enables the agency to complete track and station work on an expedited basis that would otherwise necessitate severe schedule reductions and service suspensions repetitively over a prolonged period. Track work will include replacing in-station track, replacing the track switching network outside the station and repairing 4,500 linear feet of track leading to the station. Station work will include refurbishing the concrete platform surface and replacing four stairways between the station’s mezzanine and platform levels.

The agency has worked with regional transit partners to provide riders with extensive travel alternatives while work is completed, including expanded ferry service, frequent shuttle buses to other PATH stations and supplemental PATH, light rail and New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) bus service between Hoboken and Manhattan, N.Y.

“This closure will undoubtedly pose challenges for Hoboken riders and we recognize the impact it will have on their daily routines,” said PANYNJ Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “The PATH system is a vital connection in our region and this work is crucial to ensuring it remains safe, reliable and efficient for the thousands who depend on it every day. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our riders as we work to strengthen this essential infrastructure.”

“We recognize that a full station closure is disruptive but it allows us to fast-track extensive repair work within the station and critical infrastructure around it that otherwise would have involved years of intermittent closures if we performed it piecemeal,” said PANYNJ Executive Director Rick Cotton. “We are committed to full transparency throughout this process and providing an array of travel alternatives during the closure.”

The improvements to Hoboken station during the closure will include:

Replacement of Hoboken Interlocking and tracks: PATH will replace in-station tracks and the Hoboken Interlocking, the intricate system of tracks and switches that allows all service from two tunnels to access three tracks at the Hoboken station. PANYNJ notes that without the continuous 25 day outage, the work by itself would require four complete weekend shutdowns due to the scale and location of the interlocking and an additional 50 consecutive days of significantly reduced service levels in and out of Hoboken due to the reduction in station track capacity required to maintain safe operations during the construction.
Track repair and maintenance work: PATH will repair 4,500 linear feet of track in the two tunnels leading into the station. PANYNJ notes the continuous 25 day outage prevents a full year of weekend service reductions that would otherwise be required to complete the work.
Restoration of passenger infrastructure: PATH will replace the concrete walking surfaces in public areas throughout the station and replace four staircases between the station’s mezzanine and platform levels. According to the PANYNJ, performing the most disruptive work during the outage will reduce a 28 weekend timeline of disruption to customers (selective closures, rerouting of passengers, etc.) at Hoboken. The agency coordinated the rehabilitation with the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office and the Hoboken Historic Preservation Commission.

PANYNJ utilized outside expertise in evaluating the PATH system’s needs and potential work schedules. Consultants identified a full station closure as the best option to simultaneously complete the three projects. The agency has also collaborated with outside experts to develop a work plan based on the industry’s best practices. The agency planned the closure for a time of year that traditionally sees lower daily ridership levels.

During the closure, a multitude of travel alternatives will be offered, though the agency says customers may still experience crowding and lines. All alternative travel options are ADA-accessible. Those alternatives will include:

Cross-honored ferry service

Additional peak period service departing every 10 minutes from both Hoboken ferry terminals, the PATH/NJ Transit station terminal and the 14th St. terminal, with service to Manhattan’s Brookfield Place/Battery Park City terminal and Midtown/West 39th St. terminal.
Expanded NY Waterway crosstown bus service from Midtown/West 39th St. terminal.
Extended operating hours until 10:00 p.m. weekdays and 12:00 a.m. weekends at both Hoboken terminals.
Additional weekend route, offering service to Midtown/West 39th St. from both Hoboken terminals.

Free PATH shuttle bus service

Frequent shuttle buses connecting Hoboken riders to continuing PATH service at Newport and Exchange Pl stations.

Supplemental bus service to enhance NJ Transit’s No. 126 Line

NJ Transit to increase frequency of the No. 126 bus, connecting Hoboken station with the Midtown Bus Terminal.

Supplemental PATH service

Additional PATH trains to serve expected additional passengers at Newport and Exchange Pl stations to/from World Trade Center and 33 St. The additional service will result in trains arriving at Newport every two to four minutes and trains arriving at Exchange Pl every five minutes or less during rush hours.

Supplemental NJ Transit Hudson-Bergen light-rail service

NJ Transit will provide additional service on the Hudson-Bergen light rail weekdays between 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., connecting riders to/from continuing PATH service at Newport and Exchange Place. PANYNJ is also organizing several informational sessions, both in-person and virtual, ahead of the closure.

Through the end of this year, work will continue between Journal Square and Harrison stations, necessitating adjusted service levels on most weekends between those stations. Trains will run every 40 minutes on weekends.

PATH is replacing 6,000 feet of track and installing an additional interlocking system, which will improve operational flexibility and reduce the impact of delays on passengers. The new interlocking will enable PATH trains to bypass disabled trains west of Journal Square, allowing for a quicker resumption of service on the Newark-World Trade Center line. Additionally, PATH is completing a sea wall along the Passaic River that will protect the system from future flooding.

The PATH program began with rehabilitation work at the Grove St. station earlier this year, replacing floor tiles, patching and repainting work, refinishing platform columns and installing LED lighting and electrical wiring. The weekend Grove St. station bypasses associated with the PATH Forward work concluded ahead of schedule in mid-June.

“PATH is continually striving to create the best possible travel experience for our customers,” said PATH Director and General Manager Clarelle DeGraffe. “We recognize the inconvenience our customers will experience during this period of essential infrastructure and station rehabilitation and we appreciate their patience and understanding, as we work to make this 116-year-old rail network more reliable.”