World Trade Center PATH Station To Close This Weekend

DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The World Trade Center PATH station will close this weekend, the Port Authority announced on Tuesday.

The entire station will be shut down on Saturday, Sunday and until 5 a.m. on Monday to allow crews to test new equipment and software.

The Exchange Place PATH station in New Jersey will also close this weekend.

Affected commuters can get a free two-trip MetroCard at the 33rd Street PATH station. The MetroCards will only be valid this weekend, according to the Port Authority.

This weekend's closure will allow the Port Authority to test equipment as part of the Positive Train Control installation. Congress has mandated that rail lines including PATH install the Positive Train Control system by Dec. 31. The system uses technology that can more reliably prevent train collisions and overspeed derailments, among other safety improvements, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

The WTC PATH station will close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday.

Both stations will be closed again on the weekend of July 7 for similar testing, according to the Port Authority. Starting July 14, the 33rd Street PATH station will be closed for 15 weekends, the agency said.

Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images