SERVICE ADVISORY: EXTRA RAIL AND BUS SERVICE SET FOR THANKSGIVING TRAVELERS

Kids ride free on NJ TRANSIT all holiday weekend

November 19, 2018

NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT is once again offering additional trains and buses this Thanksgiving holiday weekend to make it even easier for customers to unite with family and friends, travel to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, or get started on holiday shopping at various malls throughout the state. Plus, feel free to bring your holiday helpers, as kids ride free* the entire long weekend!

NJ TRANSIT will once again offer “early getaway” rail and bus service on Wednesday, November 21, for the benefit of customers leaving work early, and to provide additional capacity for customers traveling to Newark Liberty International Airport. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is typically the busiest day of the year at Newark Airport’s rail station, with ridership levels about twice that of a typical weekday. Customers are urged to purchase their tickets early – round trip preferably – to avoid lines or download NJ TRANSIT’s mobile app available free at the App Store and Google Play.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 22, NJ TRANSIT will add extra trains and buses to the schedule in the morning and midday hours to accommodate customers traveling to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Then on Friday, November 23, traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year, enhanced bus service will be offered to shopping centers throughout New Jersey and additional trains will operate to and from Penn Station New York.

NJ TRANSIT customer service representatives and volunteers will be deployed at major facilities throughout the holiday weekend to assist customers with their travels.

For complete schedule and fare information, customers may visit njtransit.com or call 973-275-5555.

HOLIDAY SERVICE AT A GLANCE

	Rail	Bus	Light Rail
Wednesday, Nov. 21	Early getaway service from New York, Newark and Hoboken	Additional buses on select routes from Port Authority Bus Terminal and on the No. 64 & 68 routes from Hudson River waterfront outbound from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some routes on special holiday schedule Consult timetable or visit njtransit.com	Regular weekday service
Thursday, Nov. 22	Weekend/major holiday schedule Extra rail service on select lines	Schedules vary by route. The No. 111 will operate to/from Jersey Gardens starting at 8:15 a.m. Additional service for NYC parade Consult timetable or visit njtransit.com	HBLR on weekend schedule; Newark Light Rail and River Line on Sunday schedule
Friday, Nov. 23	Weekday schedule with extra NY-bound rail service on select lines Select morning peak period trains will not operate on NEC and NJCL	Schedules vary by route Consult timetable or visit njtransit.com Additional buses on select lines to major New Jersey shopping centers	HBLR on weekend schedule; Newark Light Rail on Saturday schedule; River Line on weekday schedule

On Wednesday, November 21, trains will operate on a weekday schedule on all lines with additional “early getaway” service from Penn Station New York, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal starting at 1 p.m. on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines. Certain trains will also add stops at Secaucus Junction and Newark Airport stations, with details available on the rail printable schedules page at njtransit.com. Newark Light Rail, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and River Line Light Rail service will operate on a weekday schedule. Bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to check their timetables or visit njtransit.com for schedule information. Selected routes will operate on special holiday schedules to match service with ridership demand, including early getaway service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and on the No. 64 and 68 bus routes from the Hudson River waterfront between noon and 4:30 p.m. to accommodate the heaviest travel, with less frequent service during the traditional rush hour and later in the evening due to lower ridership. Special holiday timetables are available on njtransit.com.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 22, trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule. To accommodate customers traveling to and from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, NJ TRANSIT will add extra trains on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex and Port Jervis lines. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule; Newark Light Rail and River Line will operate on a Sunday schedule. Holiday bus schedules vary by route—bus customers are advised to visit njtransit.com. Selected bus routes will operate extra service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal for customers attending the parade. Click HERE for holiday bus schedules

Note to Thanksgiving shoppers: Service on the No. 111 bus route from Port Authority Bus Terminal to the Jersey Gardens Mall in Elizabeth will begin operating at 8:15 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, November 22. The No. 40 will operate on a special holiday schedule serving Jersey Gardens all night long. Service on the No. 163, 171, 175 & 770 bus routes to Garden State Plaza in Paramus will operate on a Saturday schedule to serve the mall all day.

On Friday, November 23, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, trains will operate on a modified weekday schedule on all rail lines with additional New York-bound trains between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines. Customers are encouraged to travel early, if possible, when ridership is light. There will be adjustments to morning peak period service on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Lines, with select trains either not operating or combined with other trains due to expected light ridership. Customers should visit the printable schedule page at njtransit.com or use the “Station-to-Station Trip Planner” for Friday’s rail schedules. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule. River Line will operate on a weekday schedule. Holiday bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to visit Bus holiday schedules on njtransit.com.

Extra bus service to New Jersey malls

Starting Friday, November 23 and continuing through December 26, NJ TRANSIT will offer additional bus service to major New Jersey shopping destinations to accommodate extended store hours and busy shopping times throughout the day. Throughout the holiday shopping season, extra trips or expanded service will be offered on several bus routes serving malls and shopping centers throughout the state, including Garden State Plaza, Jersey Gardens, Livingston Mall, Harmon Meadow/Mill Creek in Secaucus, Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Towne Center Mall and West Belt Mall.

*Kids ride free on NJT

For the Thanksgiving holiday, NJ TRANSIT’s Family SuperSaver Fare, which allows up to two children 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult, will be in effect from 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 21 until 6 a.m. Monday, November 26.

Travel tips

Check Schedules in Advance: Additional service will be provided on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Plan your trip online to take advantage of extra trains and buses.

Travel Early on Friday, November 23: On Friday, NJ TRANSIT rail lines will operate on a modified weekday schedule with additional trains during the late morning hours. Avoid the crowds by traveling during the traditional peak-period (6-9 a.m.) when ridership is light.

Allow Extra Travel Time: Traffic congestion during the holidays may affect bus travel times to and from New York City, so customers should plan accordingly.

Ticketing: Purchase round-trip tickets at the start of your trip to speed your return. Use the Mobile App, ticket vending machines or see a ticket agent, if available, to avoid possible surcharges. Bus customers departing Port Authority Bus Terminal are reminded that tickets must be purchased before boarding the bus.

Luggage: Travel as light as possible. Passengers with luggage or packages should use the overhead racks or designated luggage spaces. On multilevel trains, customers with large bags should use the mezzanine levels at the ends of each car.

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 944,000 weekday trips on 251 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 165 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.