New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill joined representatives from NJ Transit and Amtrak to celebrate the opening of the new Portal North Bridge with a ceremonial train ride.
The track officially enters passenger service on March 16, officials said, but the ceremonial first train ride marks the opening of the bridge for service. Officials said the new bridge is a milestone in service reliability on the Northeast Corridor. When opened, it will transfer service from the current 116-year-old swing bridge, long the source of delays along the nation’s busiest rail line. The second track will be moved onto the bridge in the fall.
“Today marks a historic step forward for New Jersey’s transportation future. For decades, the old Portal Bridge has been a source of delays and frustration for the hundreds of thousands of commuters and travelers who rely on the Northeast Corridor every day,” Sherrill said. “With the first train now crossing the new Portal North Bridge, we are delivering a modern, reliable piece of infrastructure that will strengthen our economy, improve the daily commute and support the entire Northeast Corridor.”
Infrastructure on the bridge, completed just a few months after Mother Theresa was born, created long delays, U.S. Rep Nellie Pou (D-NJ) said. The new bridge will help get residents and commuters to work and home faster while providing more economic growth for New Jersey.
On Feb. 13, NJ Transit and Amtrak began the critical work of transferring one track of service from the old bridge to the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River, which required temporary service adjustments to NJ Transit and Amtrak schedules. Regular NJ Transit service schedules resumed on March 15.
“Replacing the aging Portal Bridge with a modern structure will significantly improve reliability for the hundreds of trains that cross the Hackensack River every day,” NJ DOT Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Priya Jain said. “This progress reflects years of collaboration between federal, state, and regional partners and brings us one step closer to delivering the resilient, 21st-century infrastructure our commuters, residents and businesses depend on.”