NYC PATH Crews Work to Restore NWK-WTC Service

Switch malfunction at Exchange Place disrupts PATH NWK-WTC service, trains bypass station

PATH NWK-WTC Line Faces Delays on Switch Issue

PATH riders traveling between Newark and Manhattan face delays Saturday after a switch malfunction at Exchange Place station disrupted service on the NWK-WTC line. Crews are working to repair the equipment failure, transit officials said December 28. The disruption affects one of PATH's four routes connecting New Jersey with Lower Manhattan, a line that serves approximately 280,000 weekday passengers across the system.

The switch malfunction represents the type of infrastructure challenge transit agencies face maintaining aging rail equipment. PATH operates 13.8 miles of track connecting Manhattan with Newark, Harrison, Jersey City, and Hoboken across 13 stations, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Exchange Place serves as a key transfer point in the system, making the equipment failure particularly disruptive to passenger routing. Officials haven't released technical details about what caused the switch to malfunction or provided an estimated timeline for repairs to be completed.

The 33-JSQ trains running between Journal Square and Manhattan are bypassing Exchange Place entirely until repairs are finished, officials said. Passengers needing to reach Exchange Place must transfer at Grove Street station to catch connecting trains. The extent of delays and specific number of affected passengers hasn't been specified. PATH completed major signal system upgrades in 2023 as part of ongoing modernization efforts, though routine equipment malfunctions still occur across the aging infrastructure.

Officials haven't announced when normal service will resume on the NWK-WTC line. The agency typically provides updates through its official alert channels as repair work progresses, though a specific timeline for when additional information will be available wasn't provided. Clarelle DeGraffe serves as General Manager for PATH under the Port Authority's oversight.

Riders should expect continued delays and plan extra travel time for trips through Exchange Place. The bypass affects passengers traveling between Newark Penn Station and World Trade Center who normally use Exchange Place as a boarding or transfer point. Moovit provides real-time PATH updates and alternative routing options for affected commuters.