PANYNJ proposes major service changes to PATH rail system in 2026

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has proposed plans to make major service increases across the PATH rail system in 2026 following completion of the agency’s PATH Forward rehabilitation program. 

PANYNJ says the return of seven-day service on all four PATH lines is a major milestone in its long-term modernization of the 117-year-old railroad. Riders will see the first phase of the changes be implemented in March 2026 following completion of the $430 million PATH Forward initiative.   Additional service enhancements are scheduled for May 2026 and March 2027. The enhanced service options will deliver faster, more direct travel for weekend customers, as well as shorter wait times during weekday rush hours. 

“For more than a century, PATH has evolved alongside the region it serves, and this service expansion marks the start of a new, exciting chapter in that story,” said PANYNJ Board of Commissioners Chair Kevin O’Toole. “With PATH Forward drawing to a close, the critical work that was part of that program has allowed us to propose restoring seven-day-a-week service across every line for the first time in a generation alongside other major service upgrades. This is a tangible sign of how far PATH has come and how ready it now is to meet the demands of the future.”  

Timeline of weekend/off-peak service changes 

• March 2026: Service on the Journal Square-33 Street via Hoboken line will double on weekends between 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., with trains every 10 minutes instead of every 20 minutes. 
• May 2026: Dedicated Hoboken service to World Trade Center and 33 Street will resume on weekends for the first time since 2001, streamlining travel for Hoboken riders and eliminating an extra stop on the Journal Square-33 Street line for Jersey City riders. The Journal Square-33 Street and Hoboken-33 Street lines will operate every 10 minutes, and Hoboken-World Trade Center will operate every 20 mins from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. There will also be enhanced late-night Friday service, with trains every 20 minutes instead of every 40 minutes between 11:30 p.m. Friday and 2:00 a.m. Saturday on all lines. 
• March 2027: Increased weekend service on the Newark-World Trade Center and Hoboken-World Trade Center lines from 10 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with trains running every 10 to 15 minutes. 

Weekday service changes include: 

• March 2026: Hoboken-World Trade Center line frequency will improve to every six minutes during morning rush hour, a 33% service increase to 10 trains per hour. 
• March 2027: Newark-World Trade Center line frequency will improve to every four minutes during morning and evening rush hours, a 25% service increase that will deliver 15 trains per hour. 

PANYNJ notes the changes result from widespread rider feedback the agency received during the PATH Forward initiative and a thorough review of ridership trends. As the program concludes in early 2026, PATH will take advantage of newly rehabilitated and renewed tracks, switches and stations to deliver dramatically improved service. 

According to PANYNJ, in order to run direct service on the weekends and allow for adequate maintenance schedules, the Journal Square-33 Street via Hoboken service that currently starts at 11:00 p.m. on Monday to Friday nights will start at 10:00 p.m. beginning in fall 2026.  

“Every decision we’ve made with PATH has been guided by one principle: putting our riders first,” said PANYNJ Executive Director Rick Cotton. “The Port Authority has received an enormous amount of feedback. Customers told us where they want shorter waits, more options and better reliability across both weekdays and weekends. These proposed service increases are the direct result of that feedback and of years of focused investment in our infrastructure that will deliver a safer, faster and more comfortable experience.” 

PATH Director and General Manager Clarelle DeGraffe says the upgrades are a long time coming for the century-plus old system. 

“Behind the scenes, PATH teams have been working tirelessly to rebuild and modernize this 117-year-old system from the ground up,” DeGraffe said. “From replacing decades-old track and switch infrastructure to upgrading stations and railcars, every project has been aimed at creating a stronger foundation for better service. Thanks to that effort and the patience of our riders, we’re now in a position to propose meaningful service improvements across all lines and all days of the week.” 

PANYNJ notes PATH Forward facilitated comprehensive track repair and replacement, modernization of bridges, railcars and other critical infrastructure and the rehabilitation of four major stations: Hoboken, Grove Street, Newport and Exchange Pl. The enhancements also build on previous efforts to grow capacity, including the introduction of nine-car service for all trains on the Newark-World Trade Center line, increasing capacity on the line by 12.5%. PATH is also planning additional initiatives to further streamline and modernize the passenger experience, including the expansion of the TAPP tap-to-go fare payment system.  

The agency says PATH has seen significant ridership growth in recent months, including its second-busiest month since the pandemic in September 2025 when it carried 5.5 million passengers, which was 79% of pre-pandemic September 2019 ridership. Nearly 218,000 customers rode PATH during the average weekday in September, a new post-pandemic record for the system. Weekend ridership continues to match or exceed pre-pandemic figures at about 118,000 Saturday riders and 86,000 Sunday riders in September 2025. 

According to PANYNJ, PATH operations do not receive dedicated state or federal funds. PATH fares currently cover only approximately 25% of the actual cost of each ride, with PANYNJ subsidizing the remaining 75 percent. To sustain operations and fund these major service increases, PANYNJ evaluated several revenue options in developing its proposed 2026–2035 Capital Plan, which was introduced on Nov. 13 at the monthly meeting of the PANYNJ Board of Commissioners. The 2026–2035 Capital Plan proposes a fare increase of $0.25 in summer 2026, with additional $0.25 increases each January from 2027 through 2029. PANYNJ says the proposed capital plan would also fund the installation of all new uptown tracks and make critical infrastructure investments for faster and more reliable service. 

The agency says it is also committed to taking action to prevent fare evasion. As part of the proposed 2026–2035 Capital Plan, the agency will install new fare gates to reduce fare evasion. The plan also funds technology, including CCTV and artificial intelligence, to identify patterns of fare evasion and develop more efficient and targeted strategies to deter fare evasion and enforce fare payment.