Hoboken’s PATH station has reopened on schedule after a 25-day closure and a $54 million renovation that brought vital repairs and upgrades to the 117-year-old transit hub. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) on Tuesday announced the station has reopened with new stairs, signage, fresh paint, and critical track improvements designed to enhance speed and reliability for riders. Officials chose a full shutdown to complete the work in under a month, avoiding major service interruptions that could’ve lasted for at least a year.

A key component of PANYNJ’s two-year $430 million PATH Forward program, the project was carefully devised, with work taking place 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for a total of 600 hours.

The project replaced a 35-year-old double crossover slip switch located just outside the station, allowing arriving trains to access all three tracks. Now, the station will benefit from fewer delays and more reliable service.

Workers also removed the previous tracks and ballast—the stabilizing rocks underneath the tracks that drain moisture and prevent structural and equipment damage. These rocks were crushed beneath 230 trains every day for over a century, reducing them to a fine powder that clogged the tracks instead of draining them.

After replacing the ballast, more than 4,500 linear feet of new tracks were installed on top. The third rail, which powers the trains, has also been replaced in the same area with a new composite material that conducts electricity more efficiently.

*Credit:* *The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey* on *Flickr*

The project also refurbished the station’s concrete platforms and replaced four steep, narrow staircases with modern, safer staircases from the mezzanine to platform level. Additionally, the station walls and ceilings received a fresh paint job, with columns painted Lackawanna green as a tribute to the train terminal’s railroad past.

Additional platform and track work will continue in the coming weeks, which will be completed during PATH’s weekend and overnight schedules.

“The Hoboken station and the PATH system itself turn 117 years old this week, highlighting both its enduring importance in our transit network and its need for continued investment and care,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said.

“We thank our riders for their patience and our regional transit partners for their coordination over the last 25 days. The critical infrastructure upgrades we’ve delivered thanks to this work will provide a more reliable commute for years to come.”

During the closure, the Authority offered a wide variety of transit alternatives, including expanded and cross-honored ferry service, free shuttle buses, and supplemental PATH, light rail, and NJ TRANSIT bus service between Hoboken and Manhattan. Officials chose February due to its historically low ridership numbers compared to other times of the year.

Other parts of the PATH Forward program, aimed at modernizing the system, include renovating Grove Street, Newport, and Exchange Place stations.