Feeling cramped on PATH trains lately?

It may be because a record breaking 82.8 million riders squeezed on to trans-Hudson trains in 2017, 4.3 million more than in 2016.

Last year was the first time PATH ridership topped 80 million since the Port Authority took control of the railroad in 1962, officials said. This marks the third time this decade that PATH shattered ridership numbers. Records were broken in 2011 and in 2012.

One reason was 900,000 additional NJ Transit commuters used PATH after Morris & Essex line trains were re-routed to Hoboken during Amtrak's Penn Station track project last summer. Despite that, the system had an average 97.7 percent on-time record, officials said.

"The sharp growth in ridership is attributed to a surge in new customers due to economic growth and activity, a surge in residential development near PATH stations, and an influx of additional riders who used the system during repairs and renovation of New York Penn Station last summer," said Scott Ladd, a PATH spokesman.

Transit advocates have expressed concern that PATH is close to capacity because of riders from new residential developments.

Some projects will help move more riders such as a Communications Based Train Control system being installed now, PATH officials said. A new station in Harrison is under construction. A planned project that hasn't started would extend the Grove Street station platforms to allow longer 10-car trains to be run.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

