A broken rail disrupted PATH train service between New Jersey and Manhattan early Thursday, frustrating commuters as rush hour got underway.
Trains between Hoboken and the World Trade Center and 33rd Street stations were suspended for roughly two hours as crews worked to repair the rail near Manhattan’s Christopher Street station, the Port Authority said. Service had resumed in both directions by about 7:30 a.m., but officials warned passengers to expect delays.
PATH tickets were being cross-honored until 8 a.m. by NJ Transit trains at the Hoboken, Exchange Place and Secaucus stations, according to the Port Authority. Ferries were also accepting PATH tickets at Brookfield Place, Midtown/West 39th Street, and Pier 11/Wall Street, while the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail was accepting them at Hoboken, Newport and Exchange Place.
It’s been a rocky year for Hoboken PATH riders, with a number of closures and service disruptions. Officials closed the station over Labor Day weekend for “urgent” repairs to interlocking equipment installed in February following a monthlong shutdown.
The equipment failed several times over the summer, including a mid-July meltdown where a series of outages and breakdowns left passengers fuming and the Hoboken mayor calling for reform.
The issues come as the Port Authority works on a more than $400 million effort, dubbed the “PATH Forward,” to upgrade the system’s aging infrastructure.
“We understand Hoboken riders have faced disruptions this year and we apologize for the impact they've had on our customer's trips,” PATH tweeted Thursday morning. “Our teams are focused on completing this repair as quickly and safely as possible so Hoboken service can get back on track.”
