Getting from Newark Liberty International Airport to the city

The good news first

• A single NJ Transit ticket covers the whole journey, AirTrain included. From the terminal you ride AirTrain Newark to Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station, then a Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line train to New York Penn Station.
• $17.25 for an adult, about 30 minutes. Keep the ticket: it is what opens the AirTrain gate when you arrive.
• New York Penn Station is at 31st Street and 8th Avenue, with the A/C/E, 1/2/3, B/D/F/M and N/Q/R/W all reachable from inside.
• If you are heading for Newark itself or the PATH, a ticket to Newark Penn Station is $12.30 and PATH into Manhattan is $3.00 on top, 45 to 55 minutes all in. That saves under two dollars and costs you twenty minutes, so it is only worth it if PATH lands you closer.

The building site

• The AirTrain you are riding is due to be demolished. The Port Authority is spending $3.5 billion replacing it with a 2.5-mile automated people mover, three new stations and two pedestrian connectors.
• Guideway construction started in 2026. The contract requires the contractor to keep the existing AirTrain running and maintained until the new system is commissioned, so there is always a service of some kind.
• "Some kind" has already meant shuttle buses. Earlier in 2026, accessible shuttle buses replaced the AirTrain between the rail station and P4 on weekdays between 5 a.m. and 3 p.m., while the rest of the loop kept running.
• So check NJ Transit's station alerts for Newark Airport before you leave, especially for a weekday morning arrival, and add half an hour if a substitution is in force.

The bus that skips it entirely

• NJ Transit bus route 62 runs to the terminals directly, Elizabeth to Newark, with frequent service from Newark Penn Station. No AirTrain, no rail station, no transfer.
• NJ Transit bus fares are zonal, bought from the driver in cash, on board by card, or in the app. Count the zone boundaries on the route diagram in the PDF timetable if you want the exact price before you board.
• This is the route to remember if the AirTrain is down or if you are travelling with a lot of luggage and would rather not change twice.

Arriving from elsewhere in New Jersey

• Direct trains serve the airport rail station on the Northeast Corridor and the North Jersey Coast Line. Follow the aeroplane symbol on the departure boards.
• From most northern New Jersey lines, change at Secaucus Junction.
• From the Raritan Valley Line, change at Newark Penn Station, then one stop to the airport.
• On weekends and holidays up to two children aged 5 to 11 travel free with a fare-paying adult.