On Oct. 30, NJ Governor Phil Murphy joined NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett to preview the future of transportation within NJ TRANSIT. The new fleet of rail cars will contain improvements to reliability, capacity and customer comfort. The next generation of multilevel rail cars were unveiled at NJ TRANSIT’s Meadows Maintenance Complex (MMC) in Kearny.
“Providing modern, reliable equipment is a critical component to improving New Jersey’s infrastructure, particularly with regard to public transit,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “These multilevel rail cars are equipped with innovative features that meet the everyday needs of our commuters. Upon their completion, these upgraded rail cars will expand access to reliable and comfortable transportation for NJ TRANSIT riders.”
The new fleet will feature 174 Multilevel III cars, the first of which was unveiled by Governor Murphy and Corbett at the event. At the unveiling, many of the cars new features were highlighted including USB charging ports and onboard information displays. The new cars will offer significant advantages over the decades old cars that they will be replacing, offering more comfort to passengers.
“NJ TRANSIT is committed to improving every aspect of the customer journey, and the 174 new multilevel rail cars will achieve that through vastly improving reliability, increasing capacity, and enhancing the onboard experience,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “NJ TRANSIT is grateful to Governor Murphy and our partners at the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for delivering the necessary funding to ensure our system continues to meet the growing demands of our region, and the expectations of our customers.”
The new cars, which will begin entering service mid-next year, are in compliance with the latest federal regulations. The maximum vehicle speed for the newer cars will also increase to upwards of 110 miles per hour.
In Dec. 2018, the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors approved a rail rolling stock procurement to replace the single-level vehicles manufactured over 40 years ago. Now, nearly 6 years later, their plan is beginning to come together, as the multileveled vehicles take the next step towards being put out.
About NJ TRANSIT
NJ TRANSIT is the nation’s largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 263 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.