Whether you’re leaving New York City or staying in town for Labor Day weekend, keeping up to date on all of the NYC transportation service changes will help you catch your flight, avoid traffic, and travel between boroughs without delays.
According to Port Authority projections, around 4.2 million people are expected to be at Port Authority crossings (bridges and tunnels) over Labor Day weekend. Thus, taking public transit may be the best way to get around this weekend. Here are all the services changes for NYC transport you should be aware of.
New York City transit
Expect planned service changes for the subway system throughout Labor Day weekend.
- Monday, September 1st: Service changes to both subways and buses
- Subways will operate on a Sunday schedule
- Buses will operate on a Sunday schedule (many bus routes don’t operate on Sundays or do not run on part of the route)
You can check MTA’s planned service page and filter by date and route to get a glance at what you can expect.
Long Island Rail Road
- Saturday, August 30th: Normal schedule
- Sunday, August 31st: Operate on Saturday schedule
- Monday, September 1st: Weekend/holiday schedule
- Montauk Branch trains on Sunday schedule
- The 11.36 a.m., 1.46 p.m., and 4:17 p.m. trains from Montauk to Penn Station, the 6:21 p.m. train from Montauk to Penn Station and the 3:25 p.m. train from Southampton to Jamaica, that typically usually run Sundays, will instead run on Monday along with other added service between the Hamptons and Montauk
- Tuesday, September 2nd: the 7:17 a.m. train from Montauk to Hunterspoint Ave, that usually runs on summer Mondays, is scheduled to run on Tuesday for passengers returning to New York City
Metro-North Railroad
- Friday, August 29th: Service adjustments to both the East and West of Hudson Lines
- Three early getaway trains on the Hudson Line
- The 1:18 p.m. train from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie will stop at Harlem-125 Street, operate express to Croton-Harmon and make all stops to Poughkeepsie, except Manitou
- The 1:51 p.m. train from Grand Central will stop at Harlem-125 Street and make all stops to Croton-Harmon. Hudson Rail Link buses will meet at Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale
- The 2:18 p.m. train from Grand Central will stop at Harlem-125 Street, run express to Croton-Harmon and make all stops to Poughkeepsie, except Manitou
- The 5:30 p.m. and 6:11 p.m. trains to Poughkeepsie will not run
- Two early getaway trains on the Harlem Line
- The 1:15 p.m. train from Grand Central will stop at Harlem-125 Street, run express to White Plains and make all stops to Goldens Bridge, except Mount Pleasant
- The 1:49 p.m. train from Grand Central will stop at Harlem-125 Street and make all stops to North White Plains.
- The 5:27 p.m. train to Southeast will not operate
- Three early getaway trains and one service change on the New Haven Line
- The 2:28 p.m. train from Grand Central will stop at Harlem-125 Street, run express to Westport and select stops to New Haven
- The 2:56 p.m. train from Grand Central will stop at Harlem-125 Street, run express to Larchmont and make all stops to Stamford
- The 3:27 p.m. train from Grand Central will stop at Harlem-125 Street, run express to Stamford, then Westport and select stops to New Haven
- The 5:18 p.m. train to New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Harrison will not operate. Instead, the 5:21 p.m. train from Grand Central which stops at Mt. Vernon East, Pelham and New Rochelle, will be extended to Harrison making stops at Larchmont and Mamaroneck
- The 5:41 p.m., 6:07 p.m. and 6:44 p.m. New Haven express trains will not operate
- Extensions and service changes to West of Hudson – Port Jervis Line
- The 2:41 p.m. train from Hoboken Terminal to Middletown, NY will be extended to Port Jervis, making stops at Otisville and Port Jervis
- The 6:14 p.m. train from Hoboken Terminal to Port Jervis will not operate
- Three early getaway trains on the Hudson Line
- Saturday, August 30th: Metro-North’s East of Hudson lines will operate a normal Saturday schedule
- Sunday, August 31st – Monday, September 1st: Metro-North’s East of Hudson lines will operate a normal Sunday schedule
- Monday, September 1st: The Hudson Rail Link bus service will not operate. Moreover, an extra train will depart Port Jervis at 4:05 p.m., making all stops through Suffern, then express to Secaucus Junction and Hoboken, arriving at Hoboken at 6:24 p.m., with a connecting train at Secaucus Junction to New York Penn Station arriving in New York at 6:33 p.m
- Tuesday, September 2nd: Normal weekday service resumes
Use the TrainTime app or visit mta.info to help you plan your route.
New Jersey PATH
- Thursday, August 28th (11:59pm) to Tuesday, September 2nd (5am) – Hoboken station will be closed for track repairs and switching systems
- Alternate travel options include free PATH shuttle buses, expanded PATH train service, NY Waterway Ferry service and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. See full details here.
- Friday, August 29th through Monday, September 1st – 9 St and 23 St stations will remain open overnight
Find more information about PATH service changes here.
NYC Airports
2.4 million travelers are anticipated to be at Port Authority commercial airports. And especially with JFK’s ongoing construction, it’s best to take public transit so you’re not stuck in traffic. Fortunately, the JFK AirTrain is still half off through this weekend!
For those flying out of LGA, the Q70 bus LaGuardia Link is free all year-round.