The following is attributable to Tom Wright, President and CEO of RPA:

For several years, riders along the Northeast Corridor have watched the construction of the Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River — span by span, column by column. This bridge will reduce delays on the Northeast Corridor and provide fast, reliable service for hundreds of thousands of daily riders between New York and New Jersey. The new bridge is a vital component of the Gateway Project, which includes new tunnels under the Hudson River and a transformed New York Penn Station.

To complete this project, the railroads now need to begin the complicated process of connecting the new bridge to the existing rail lines. This work, to be done next month and later in the year, will necessitate service reductions of 50% in coming weeks that will delay riders and reduce capacity.

While nobody likes to see service cuts, these short-term delays will deliver long-term benefits to commuters, businesses, and residents along the entire corridor. RPA supports this critical work and commends the railroads for working together and communicating effectively with local officials and constituencies about the upcoming service reductions.

Simultaneously, while service is temporarily disrupted along the Northeast Corridor, we hope the railroads will look to fast-track any other improvements and investments that can be delivered during the service reductions. The Northeast Corridor has enormous needs and multiple projects. The railroads should do everything in their power to expedite other projects during this short-term reduction in service.