Weekend PATH meltdown leaves riders, Hoboken mayor calling for reform

PATH train riders were fuming Sunday after a series of equipment failures upended commutes across the system throughout the weekend.

A switch problem just before noon on Saturday cut off service between the Hoboken, Journal Square and 33rd Street, according to PATH officials. Delays were made worse after a train broke down at the World Trade Center station later in the evening. And the problems continued Sunday morning, when signal and track problems at the Newport and Hoboken stations caused further outages.

Advocates said that the disruptions were another slap in the face to riders who already endure poor weekend PATH service, which they argue ought to be made more frequent.

“ Sometimes [riders are] waiting 25, 30 minutes. So if you say, got a stroller or a suitcase, you might not even have the option of squeezing into the train,” said Madison Feinberg, a staff member of transportation advocacy group Effective Transit Alliance.

Feinberg said many riders on Saturday night were diverted away from the PATH’s Hoboken Line to the World Trade Center-Newark Line. She said that caused overcrowding at World Trade Center, the system’s busiest station.

Completely impossible to get onto the PATH from WTC. Every single car is packed like sardines. Still 4 minutes before this one even leaves.

Next train is 20 minutes after that.

This is intolerable. @RepSherrill, where does the PATH rank on your priority list? pic.twitter.com/u1CAhpSIdu

— Chris 🇺🇲💦🍑 (@Alicoh1) July 12, 2025

The problems come as the Port Authority works on a $400 million-plus effort, dubbed the “PATH Forward,” to upgrade the system’s aging infrastructure. Much of the work takes place on weekends, and transit officials said the plan will ultimately allow for more weekend service.

The weekend’s problems were particularly enraging for Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, whose city saw its PATH station shut down the Hoboken station for nearly a month for rehabilitation work.

“ We're seeing a lot of chaos and a lot of mismanagement and dysfunction in the operation of the PATH,” Bhalla told Gothamist. “I mean, this is a fundamental artery for people to get to and from one place to another in a safe and reliable manner. And it's not working.”

Bhalla said the Port Authority — a bi-state agency run by both New York and New Jersey — has routinely underfunded the PATH system and instead has opted for multi-billion dollar investments to the region’s new airport terminals.

“The concern is that a lower budget … increases the timeline for delays, increases the timeline for shutdowns on weekend service… and increases the intervals between trains,” Bhalla said.

Feinberg pointed out PATH officials have released no specific plans to boost weekend or off-peak service, but hopes they will as the agency’s PATH Forward plan progresses.

“I certainly look to see commitments to additional service in the future and some more explanation of what the PATH is doing to reduce the likelihood of these events occurring," Feinberg said. “Riders are disappointed.”