NJT MLV EMU Procurement

This makes no sense. The whole point of MLVs is that they pack as many passengers into a single North River Tunnel window as possible. In every other respect, they are not ideal - slow boarding and deboarding, low passenger comfort, probably more difficult for the conductors, expensive custom design. If you want to get more capacity to Hoboken, never ever order them, no need for any train that does not fit in the tunnels, just get some single level coaches. Plenty of space and slots into Hoboken.

The AX-2 issues were at speeds much above 100mph.

So are these things still being built?

Are there any more updates on these things?

You could always submit board feedback to request an update at the next board meeting.

NJT has a picture of the new cars being built on their Facebook page.

Some guy in the comments claims that these cars are going to be too tall to fit into the North River and Bergen Tunnels. Which if true is pretty ridiculous, because if that's the case, there's literally nowhere these EMUs can go.

Are these new power cars going to be mixed in with the current trailers to form sets? Thus, eliminating all push pull operations for the bilevels? They will basically all become EMUs?

Tom V wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2024 10:18 am Are these new power cars going to be mixed in with the current trailers to form sets? Thus, eliminating all push pull operations for the bilevels? They will basically all become EMUs?

Not all but some. The ALP-46As and ALP-45DPs will still of course be around. Whether the 1st generation ALP-46 fleet gets rebuilt or retired is in question however.

Tom V wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2024 10:18 am Are these new power cars going to be mixed in with the current trailers to form sets? Thus, eliminating all push pull operations for the bilevels? They will basically all become EMUs?

Huh? These cars are not going to be powerful enough to propel a mixed consist. They are being purchased to replace the Arrows, not locomotive-hauled sets.

There are no new power cars. It's a 3-car set with components distributed across the three cars.

lensovet wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2024 11:55 pm Huh? These cars are not going to be powerful enough to propel a mixed consist. They are being purchased to replace the Arrows, not locomotive-hauled sets.

There are no new power cars. It's a 3-car set with components distributed across the three cars.

As I understand it there is only a single powered car, and the 3-car set is made by mixing the self propelled cars with conventional trailers. As the powered unit has no cab, the minimum length is 3 cars (powered unit in the middle with a cab control car on either end).

Minimum 3 car length? Overkill for the Dinky.

Dcell wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2024 8:19 am Minimum 3 car length? Overkill for the Dinky.

Yep, hence the effort to kill the Dinky. I'll believe the light rail when I see it; otherwise, I assume it's PR cover for the real plan of replacing the Dinky with a bus.

My apologies, I misunderstood how this was going to work.

You're right, the original order was for 58 powered cars and 55 non-powered cars. This was updated later to include 23 additional non-powered cars, for a total of 136 cars.

However, I'm still not sure why this would mean the end of push-pull operations? NJT currently has 160 Arrows in revenue service. All this order is doing is replacing those cars one-for-one from a passenger capacity standpoint.

The 2023 annual report states:
On the rail operations side, the delivery of 25 new dual-powered ALP-45 locomotives continues and the first of the Multilevel III vehicles, consisting of 58 power cars and 55 coaches to replace the 40-year-old Arrow III fleet, is expected to arrive in spring 2024.
It is Spring 2024, has any rail cars been delivered?

Not yet. The first cars should still be at Plattsburgh nearing completion.

Do the new cars have both high-level and low-level platform loading capability?
If high only, they can not be used on former EL lines.
Andy