On Monday, August 4, 2025, at approximately 6:19 a.m. Eastern Time, a fire erupted beneath an eastbound PATH train at Newport Station in Jersey City, New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.
Video captured by a passenger shows bright orange flames leaping from beneath the train’s rail and thick smoke filling at least one car, sending riders into a panic. In the footage, passengers literally shout “open the door,” “easy,” and “move, move, move” before evacuating onto the platform
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the PATH system, confirmed that rescue and medical personnel treated 13 individuals for smoke inhalation, with nine transported to hospitals for further evaluation . Eyewitnesses described visible distress: one man was seen clutching his chest, others receiving oxygen, and many racing from the smoke-filled car as flames surged around them .
The blaze disrupted the morning rush hour significantly—PATH service on several key lines between New Jersey and Manhattan was suspended. Operations between Journal Square and 33rd Street, as well as between Hoboken and both the World Trade Center and 33rd Street, were halted shortly after the fire began. Partial service resumed somewhat later in the morning, and full service was restored by approximately 11 a.m. To accommodate stranded commuters, NJ Transit and NY Waterway cross-honored PATH tickets during the suspension
PATH is a vital transit link used by roughly 165,000 passengers daily to travel between northern New Jersey and Manhattan—some of the region’s busiest commuter corridors AP News+1KSBW+1.
The Port Authority has launched an official investigation into the fire’s cause. Meanwhile, local political and transit leaders—including Assembly nominee Katie Brennan—demanded accountability and stronger safety oversight, citing recurring mechanical and service issues across the PATH network. Brennan described the incident as “completely unacceptable” and called for real reforms, warning that the public shouldn’t have to wait for a tragedy before meaningful change occurs Insider NJ.
This incident marks yet another disruption in a region already grappling with transportation woes—from bus crashes to vehicle fires and recent transit labor unrest in May 2025, all of which have heightened concerns about commuter safety and system reliability
As investigators and officials work to piece together what triggered the fire, the episode underscores important questions about safety protocols, equipment maintenance, and emergency preparedness on one of the region’s busiest transit systems.
