PANYNJ
PANYNJ announced April 29 a series of major service and operational enhancements to the PATH rail system beginning in May that the transit agency says will “expand train service, broaden fare payment options, and deliver long-sought improvements to riders throughout the 118-year-old system.”
The improvements follow the completion of PATH Forward, the Port Authority’s $430 million program to comprehensively modernize PATH infrastructure—including nearly three miles of new track, replacement of outdated switching equipment, upgraded station facilities and improvements to PATH rail cars.
Effective May 17, PATH will implement its most significant weekend service changes in more than 20 years, the agency noted. Direct Journal Square–33 St service will operate between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends, and direct Hoboken–World Trade Center service will resume on weekends for the first time in nearly a quarter-century. Dedicated weekend service will also operate on the Hoboken–33 St line. The Journal Square–33 St and Hoboken–33 St lines will run every 10 minutes; Hoboken–World Trade Center service will run every 20 minutes.
Additional enhancements will increase service frequency during rush hours and late nights. Friday night service will operate every 20 minutes until 2 a.m., consistent with Saturday night service levels.
The May 17 changes will mark the first time since 2001 that all four PATH lines operate seven days a week—the second installment in a sustained effort to improve weekend and off-peak service. In March 2026, weekend wait times on the Journal Square–33 St line via Hoboken were reduced from 20 to 10 minutes between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., and weekday morning rush hour trains between Hoboken and World Trade Center began arriving every six minutes instead of every eight.
Effective May 4, unlimited 1-, 7- and 30-day passes will be available for purchase on the new TAPP Card. Paper SingleRide tickets will also be available for purchase from TAPP vending machines in stations, alongside the existing lineup of 10-, 20-, and 40-trip products. Passes and trips can be added online or at any TAPP vending machine in stations. SmartLink SingleRide tickets will no longer be available for sale as of May 4.
PATH will also end SmartLink unlimited pass sales in stations and on the SmartLink website for everyone except reduced fare customers on May 31, as part of the ongoing migration to the TAPP system. Reduced-fare customers can continue to purchase products on SmartLink until their migration is completed this summer. PATH will issue a Fall 2026 date in the coming months by when all remaining SmartLink trips and balances must be used; SmartLink balances cannot be transferred to a TAPP Card.
Currently, more than 80 percent of riders use TAPP to access the PATH system.
Additionally, PATH is set to launch a pilot program this spring examining new fare gates as part of the agency’s campaign to reduce fare evasion throughout the system. The pilot program is launching this spring with the installation of new ADA-compliant fare gates at the World Trade Center station.
As with other transit operators, PATH has seen a rise in fare evasion in recent years, resulting in lost revenue for the agency and undermining the sense of equity for paying passengers, PANYNJ noted.
In addition to the ADA gate pilot, PATH is planning to replace its outdated network of 341 standard and ADA gates across its 13 stations. The Port Authority Board of Commissioners authorized a $3.5 million investment in planning for new gates and equipment at its March 2026 meeting.
Amtrak
Amtrak’s newest commercial, “The Build,” has just dropped with 30-second and 15-second spots featuring the “electrifying speed, premium amenities, and smooth ride of its NextGen Acela trains.” The commercial exudes a polished, sleek aesthetic, and a direct, confident tone “amplifying Amtrak’s commitment to a new era of rail travel,” the company noted.
“All of the distinct elements and benefits of our NextGen Acela fleet are reflected in ‘The Build’ to highlight what makes train travel so great,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Eliot Hamlisch. “’The Build’ inspires customers traveling between Washington, DC and Boston by highlighting how they can comfortably speed past the cars stuck in traffic on I-95 and embrace some time for themselves.”
To powerfully introduce and illustrate the features of this new fleet and highlight Amtrak in a dynamic, new way, the commercial (watch below), the company says, “reimagined some of the conventions typically associated with auto advertising. This includes the use of a modern, percussive score providing high-energy swagger and tech-forward visual effects to animate the story.”
Every aspect of the commercial was selected to reflect a blend of Amtrak’s New Era of Rail, NextGen Acela’s innovations, and Amtrak’s bold, national advertising campaign, “Retrain Travel,” which encourages consumers to reconsider their approach to travel and avoid many of the traditional hurdles of flying and driving by choosing the benefits of passenger rail.
“This extension of the original campaign reflects a broader brand ambition to modernize perception and reposition Amtrak as a leader in both premium and everyday travel,” the company noted. This includes showing up in unexpected places and enhancing cultural relevancy with its Retrain Travel messaging, including the debut of ‘Trak Suits, the Train-tacular social post, and more.
Amtrak and Mekanism, Amtrak’s creative agency of record, engaged award-winning director Warner Shaw to bring both the vision and the technical precision of the spot to life with a cinematic eye.
Creative and production partners, Stept and boutique VFX studio ArtJail, focused on the technical features of the new trains, while ensuring the spot stays true to the train’s design, and spotlighting its engineering innovation.
Additionally, “The Build” utilized a Motorized Precision EVO, a specialized robotic camera rig, to smoothly and precisely capture onboard footage.
Metro-North
Metro-North on April 30 announced that a ninth locomotive has been rebranded with special colors and designs as part of its Heritage Series, which highlights the railroad’s 43 years of public service. The wrap applied to locomotive No. 250 is inspired by the colorful locomotives of the United States bicentennial and celebrates America’s 250th anniversary.
“Through our Heritage Series, we’ve celebrated the history and legacy of Metro-North Railroad,” said Metro-North Railroad President Justin Vonashek. “Locomotive 250 gives us the opportunity to go further—honoring not only our own story, but the broader history of the United States. It’s a meaningful way to connect our railroad’s past and present to this important national milestone.”
The design blends past and present, featuring an American flag formed from the text of the Declaration of Independence and historic symbols drawn from early American coinage, including the “We Are One” emblem from Benjamin Franklin’s Fugio cent—the first officially authorized U.S. federal coin—and a heraldic eagle design inspired by the Bowed Liberty dollar coin.
The design also features the logo of America250, the bipartisan, congressionally established organization tasked with leading the nation’s celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
A limited-edition commemorative pin featuring Locomotive No. 250 will be available for purchase in the Grand Central Gift Shop, located in the Graybar Passageway in Grand Central Terminal.
All Heritage Series locomotives are in service on Metro-North’s Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines and can be seen on any train that normally operates with the railroad’s dual-mode diesel/electric locomotives.
Caltrain
Caltrain’s Technology, Operations, Planning and Safety (TOPS) Committee heard a report on the rail agency’s 2025 Triennial Survey, showing “consistently high reviews for the faster and more frequent electrified Caltrain amongst its riders and revealed that a third of Caltrain riders are new to the system.”
The survey (download below) showed that commute trips still make up the majority of ridership, with most riders getting on board two to three days a week, reflecting hybrid work schedules. Two-thirds of Caltrain riders have access to a car, while 37% of Caltrain riders are considered low-income.
Customer satisfaction is up, with the current schedule being rated 4.1 out of 5, up from 3.7 in 2022. On-time performance has gone from 3.9 to 4.4, and the Overall Caltrain experience is now rated 4.5 over 4.1 in the last survey. This, the agency says, “is in line with other surveys since Caltrain launched its faster, more frequent, electrified service that show Caltrain’s growing approval.”
The survey showed that 33% of Caltrain riders walk to their origin station, while 18% take transit, 17% use active transportation like bikes and scooters, 17% are dropped off via car or ride share and 16% drive and park at their station. The survey also shows growing use of Clipper, with 86% of respondents using it to pay fares, as paper ticket usage has fallen off.
San Francisco Station remains the most popular station for both boardings (28%) and departures (19%), according to the survey. The other stations are spread throughout the three counties Caltrain serves, with Palo Alto (9%), San Jose Diridon (8%), Redwood City and Mountain View (5%), and Millbrae and Hillsdale (4%) in the lead for boardings and San Jose Diridon (11%), Palo Alto (10%), Mountain View and Sunnyvale (7%) and Redwood City (6%) leading for departures.
Caltrain received 3,622 responses over a four-week period last Fall, with a margin of error of +/- 1.47 percent, representing a 69% response rate. Caltrain uses this data to develop its service and better target promotion strategies.
The post Transit Briefs: PANYNJ, Amtrak, Metro-North, Caltrain appeared first on Railway Age.