PATH commuters face major service disruptions this weekend as Port Authority begins second of five software tests for $430M "PATH Forward" program

PATH commuters will face significant service disruptions this weekend as the Port Authority begins the second of five planned software tests for its $430 million PATH Forward modernization program.

Starting at 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 20, service will be suspended between Harrison and Journal Square stations. The outage, required by the Federal Railroad Administration to test new track-switching systems installed last fall, is expected to end by 5 a.m. Monday, March 23.

The service suspension will occur in two phases: From Friday at 11:59 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m., no trains will run between Harrison and Journal Square, with a special shuttle train operating between Newark and Harrison. Then from Saturday at 11:59 p.m. to Sunday at 9 a.m., the outage will expand, with no train service between Journal Square and Grove Street.

During testing, trains will operate every 20 to 40 minutes depending on the time of day; regular weekend service will continue on all other PATH lines.

Free, wheelchair-accessible shuttle buses will replace train service at Newark-Penn Station, Harrison, and Journal Square; during the Saturday night outage, shuttles will also serve Grove Street. Buses are scheduled to run every 7 to 12 minutes during peak hours and every 15 to 20 minutes between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m.

NJ Transit will cross-honor PATH riders between Newark-Penn Station and New York-Penn Station; riders must present a SmartLink card, TAPP card, or PATH ticket.

The Port Authority is offering a 30% discount (up to $15) on Uber rides for trips starting and ending within a half-mile of New Jersey PATH stations from 12:01 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Riders can access the code through the Port Authority’s website or RidePATH app.

The current testing is part of a two-year effort to rehabilitate the 117-year-old railroad; the $430 million project, which began in early 2024, is slated for completion this spring. Two additional rounds of testing are scheduled for the weekends of March 27 and April 24.