USA: New Jersey’s NJ Transit has unveiled its first Alstom Multilevel III double-deck electric multiple-unit car ahead of testing and commissioning.
Over the past seven years NJ Transit has ordered 112 Multilevel III motor cars, 100 driving cars and 162 trailer cars. This procurement model will enable train lengths to be adapted to suit demand.
‘New Jersey commuters deserve a transit system that is reliable and state-of-the-art’, state Governor Mikie Sherrill said at the event at at the Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny on April 13. ‘That’s why my budget makes a historic investment to modernise one of the oldest rail fleets in the nation — starting with 40 new rail cars and 250 new buses this year. By upgrading its fleet of vehicles, NJ Transit is providing greater comfort, efficiency, and dependability to riders statewide.’
The cars from Alstom’s Adessia commuter train family are being assembled at the manufacturer’s Plattsburgh plant in compliance with Buy America standards, with at least 70% US-made content. They will be ‘reliable vehicles with modern amenities, greater capacity and a more comfortable ride for passengers’, said Michael Keroullé, President & CEO of Alstom Americas.
They are expected to be 10 times more reliable that the 1970s Arrow III and Comet II and IV single-deck cars they will replace, which Alstom said achieve 48 000 to 64 000 km before a mechanical failure.
They will feature more seats, enhanced accessibility, USB charging ports and onboard information screens. The maximum speed will be increased to 177 km/h, enabling the operator to enhance timetable robustness and accommodate increasing passenger demand.