PLATTSBURGH — Railcar manufacturer Alstom is one step closer to modernizing one of the country’s largest rail networks.
On April 13, Alstom announced the delivery of the first Multilevel III commuter rail vehicle to NJ TRANSIT. It was the first car in a 374-vehicle order being produced by Alstom in Plattsburgh.
The new double-deck trains will replace single-level cars, in service for more than 40 years, with more seats, enhanced comfort and improved train times.
According to Alstom, the rail cars are capable of reaching speeds of 110 mph, making them 30 mph faster than the previous fleet. The cars also include electric propulsion and can carry 100 passengers.
The railcars are called power cars and are passenger coaches equipped with traction motors, NJ TRANSIT said in a news release. They can propel themselves and two other passenger cars without locomotives, or they can be combined with additional power cars operating trainsets as long as 14 cars.
Power cars provide faster acceleration than can be achieved by locomotive-driven trainsets and are “among the first of their kind in the nation.”
The new 40-foot buses also include USB charging ports at multiple seats, brighter LED interior lighting for comfort and energy efficiency, and low floor design with ramps for faster, easier boarding.
According to NJ Transit, the buses also feature improved intercom systems for clearer announcements and enhanced safety and security measures, such as onboard security cameras, blind-spot cameras to assist bus operators and turn-warning systems to alert pedestrians when buses are making turns.
The North Country Chamber of Commerce welcomed the start of deliveries of the multilevel railcars from Plattsburgh to New Jersey.
“Congratulations to Alstom, its Plattsburgh workforce and suppliers,” Chamber President Garry Douglas said.
“This is a major milestone for Alstom’s Plattsburgh operation, and a point of pride for the North Country for its dynamic place in North American transportation equipment production. Onward, upward and on track.”