Is PATH service back running after this morning’s chaotic train fire?

Commuters hoping for a smooth start to the week were met with smoke, shouting and suspended service this morning when a PATH train burst into flames at Newport Station in Jersey City, an incident that upended rush hour and sent emergency crews scrambling.

The fire, which erupted under an eastbound train around 6:15am, filled the cabin with smoke and forced passengers to evacuate quickly. Dramatic videos circulating on social media showed frantic riders yelling for doors to open as thick smoke clouded the car. Once on the platform, plumes of fire could be seen shooting up from the tracks.

Several passengers were treated for smoke inhalation, according to officials. PATH police and emergency crews were on site within minutes to extinguish the fire and begin an investigation into the cause.

By mid-morning, service remained suspended on the Journal Square–33rd Street and Hoboken–World Trade Center lines, as confirmed by Port Authority on X. However, trains on the Hoboken–33rd Street and Newark–World Trade Center routes are running, bringing a partial return to normalcy for those navigating the transit headache.

To ease the pain, NJ Transit is cross-honoring PATH tickets at key locations including Hoboken, New York Penn Station, and Newark Penn Station. You can also hop aboard the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail at Newport, Exchange Place or Hoboken, or catch buses #87 and #126. Even New York Waterway ferries at Hoboken, Brookfield and Midtown are joining the rescue effort for stranded PATH riders.

As 11am, there's still no official word on when full service will be restored. Crews are continuing to assess the track damage and investigate the root cause of the fire.

This morning’s blaze is just the latest in a string of transit mishaps in the region, including recent New Jersey bus accidents and a vehicle fire in the Lincoln Tunnel. It’s been a rough ride lately for cross-Hudson commuters and today’s chaos only added fuel to the (literal) fire.

If you’re heading into the city, check @PATHAlerts for real-time updates—and maybe allow a little extra travel time (and patience). It’s Monday, after all.