**PATH Train Ticket Prices Set to Rise: Major Fare and Service Changes Announced by Port Authority**
The cost of a single PATH train ticket is set to increase next spring and will climb steadily each year until it hits $4 by 2029, Port Authority officials said. Currently, a single trip on the PATH train costs $3. However, fares will rise to $3.25 by spring 2026, then increase by 25 cents each January from 2027 to 2029. These hikes are aimed at funding “sweeping system improvements” for trains that move between Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, and Manhattan.
Drivers will also feel the pinch, as the Port Authority’s plan includes a 3% increase in bridge and tunnel tolls starting January 4th. Additionally, off-peak discounts for EZ Pass users will be phased out.
As part of the agency’s $45 billion 2026-2035 capital plan, several technological upgrades are planned. These include implementing artificial intelligence-driven surveillance tech to combat fare evasion and installing new anti-fare evasion gates.
Despite the fare increases, there is good news for riders. The Port Authority plans to reintroduce seven-day-a-week service across all PATH lines for the first time in 25 years. Trains will run every 10 minutes between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., according to Port Authority representatives.
The Hoboken-World Trade Center line will also see a 33% service increase, with trains arriving every six minutes during rush hour. Beginning in May 2026, weekend Hoboken service to the World Trade Center and 33rd Street will restart for the first time since 2001, eliminating a dreaded transfer for Jersey City riders. Late-night service will be upgraded too, with trains every 20 minutes between 11:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. on Saturdays across all PATH lines.
Further improvements are planned for March 2027, when weekend service on the Newark-World Trade Center and Hoboken-World Trade Center lines will increase between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., with trains running about every 15 minutes.
“For more than a century, PATH has evolved alongside the region it serves, and this service expansion marks the start of a new, exciting chapter in that story,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “This is a tangible sign of how far PATH has come and how ready it now is to meet the demands of the future.”
This fare hike is the second increase since single rides went up by 25 cents to $3 earlier this year—the first fare hike in a decade. The move also comes as MTA subway, bus, and Access-A-Ride single-trip tickets are set to increase in January 2026 from $2.90 to $3.
According to agency documents, fares only cover a quarter of the actual cost of each PATH ride, with the Port Authority subsidizing the remaining 75%. PATH is also unique among major US transit routes as it receives no state or federal funding.
Additional funds from toll increases will help rehabilitate key infrastructure, including the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel Helix, and Outerbridge Crossing, the Port Authority said. The full plan will be put to a vote at the Port Authority board’s December meeting.
Service increases are part of the agency’s long-term modernization of the 117-year-old railroad, following the completion of a $430 million PATH Forward plan that revamped tracks, switches, and stations. The expansion follows significant ridership growth in recent months, including 5.5 million riders in PATH’s second-busiest post-pandemic month last September.
“Customers told us where they want shorter waits, more options, and better reliability across both weekdays and weekends,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “These proposed service increases are the direct result of that feedback and of years of focused investment in our infrastructure that will deliver a safer, faster and more comfortable experience.”
https://nypost.com/2025/11/16/us-news/path-fare-set-to-hit-4-but-theres-good-news-too/
