Across the United States, rail agencies are modernizing infrastructure well beyond its original design life – often while keeping some of the country’s busiest corridors fully operational. The Portal North Bridge replacement project, where STV, in joint venture with AECOM, serves as construction manager, offers a clear example of how this challenge can be addressed through planning, coordination and concentrated execution.
The cutover of the Portal North Bridge – where Amtrak is transferring rail operations from the existing Portal North Bridge to the new replacement bridge – represents one of the most complex live‑corridor rail integrations underway in the country. Considered a crucial element of the larger Gateway Program to enhance rail service between New Jersey and New York, this complex construction activity is occurring on a segment serving what is widely regarded as the busiest passenger rail line.
To discuss this project milestone, we are joined by NJ TRANSIT’s W. Scott Maaskant, construction program manager with more than 23 years of experience, and STV’s Bobby Shafei, senior construction manager, who share insights about how the cutover was planned, executed and communicated – as well as what the project is revealing about managing complex rail work in one of the nation’s most constrained operating environments.
Why did the team choose a concentrated cutover rather than a longer, phased approach?
W. Scott Maaskant: The project team selected a two-phase, highly coordinated, cutover plan – one phase for each track within a defined time period, based on the level of force account support available. The temporary, modified schedule was planned specifically to minimize impacts to customers while still allowing the required work intensity to complete the cutover safely and efficiently.
Bobby Shafei: A longer, phased approach was considered early on, but it would have required repeated track outages over several months. Each outage introduces inefficiencies from starting and stopping work. By consolidating the work into a single, longer outage, activities could be streamlined, performed more efficiently and ultimately reduce the total duration of service disruption.
How does this strategy compare with other major rail projects around the country?
W. Scott Maaskant: This approach aligns with current industry standards for complex rail cutovers. What made this effort distinct was the level of coordination and communication required between NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak, our operating partner on the Northeast Corridor. Both agencies – along with their construction management teams – carefully reviewed and approved each aspect and detail of the plan, with safety being of paramount importance.
Bobby Shafei: This strategy is used globally, particularly when placing a major interlocking into service on a high-speed rail corridor. In this case, we’re working in what is considered the busiest passenger rail segment in the country, which requires an especially disciplined and proven approach.
What makes coordinating a cutover like this especially complex?
Bobby Shafei: The complexity comes from the sheer number of disciplines and stakeholders involved – and the fact that multiple railroads operate under different rules in the same footprint. Work is happening simultaneously across electrical traction, overhead catenary systems, track construction, switches and heaters, signals, communications, controls, CCTV, lighting and civil and structural elements. Crews from Amtrak, NJ TRANSIT and multiple contractors are all working in parallel within a very tight window.
What makes performing this work so close to active rail service especially challenging?
W. Scott Maaskant: While the work isn’t performed under a fully live passenger railroad, it occurs in very close proximity to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. All NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak personnel working in the area must have current Roadway Worker Protection certification, a federally enforced program governed by the FRA and FTA.
This certification encompasses mandatory safety briefings, strict on-track safety rules, high-visibility personal protective equipment and audible train approach warnings. Dedicated watchmen alert crews when trains are approaching nearby work zones, verifying that work can be safely sequenced in a constrained environment, as well as Blue Signal Protection.
How do you manage risk during the cutover?
Bobby Shafei: Preparation plays a major role. We’ve been coordinating and planning this outage with all stakeholders for more than a year and a half. Every activity is mapped out with hour-by-hour schedules, which is essential when you’re managing these many moving parts.
W. Scott Maaskant: The planned preparation extends beyond construction. Detailed coordination, safety protocols, scheduling discipline and alignment across all departments involved are critical to managing risk during cutover activities.
What actually happens during a cutover – and what’s happening that riders don’t normally see?
W. Scott Maaskant: For a two-track electric cutover, the first phase begins with demolition of the old catenary system from the previous alignment. The track is shut down at both ends of the project, the old rail is cut and removed in sections, and new track installation begins.
From there, crews perform alignment and surfacing operations, with a workforce of 30 to 40 personnel joining and precisely adjusting the new track. It’s a continuous, 24/7, around-the-clock effort that most riders never see, but it’s one of the most critical milestones in the project.
How did NJ TRANSIT define “readiness” for the cutover?
W. Scott Maaskant: Readiness is defined as full coordination across all departments involved – electric traction, maintenance of way, communications and signals, project management, logistics and staging. Each group plays a critical safety role, and a single failure in any one area can and will trigger a delay or no-go decision. These same teams also serve as first responders for infrastructure emergencies, underscoring the importance of a solid, high-quality and safe alignment for our customers for many generations to come.
How important is public communication during a disruption of this scale?
Bobby Shafei: It’s extremely important. NJ TRANSIT did an excellent job reaching out to the public well before the outage began, helping riders understand what was coming and what alternatives were available.
W. Scott Maaskant: Public communication is always of paramount importance. Our customer service teams were deployed at major platforms and kept informed through updates on the NJ TRANSIT website, social media channels and mainstream media outlets, ensuring our customers were aware of the latest cross-honoring agreements with PATH and New York Waterway Ferry service, as well as supplemental bus service.
What broader lessons does the Portal North Bridge cutover offer for future infrastructure projects?
Bobby Shafei: You need a knowledgeable construction manager who can bring all stakeholders together as one team. With these many moving parts, close coordination isn’t optional – it’s crucial for success.
W. Scott Maaskant: The lessons learned from this effort will be shared with our future projects facing similar challenges, including the second Portal North track cutover later this year.
