NJ TRANSIT SET TO LAUNCH SECOND MULTILEVEL TRAINSET

Starting Monday, 6 Northeast Corridor departures to feature new cars

July 13, 2007
NJT-07-077
Contact: Dan Stessel 973 491-7078

NEWARK, NJ ¿ Several thousand more passengers will find themselves with a more comfortable and convenient commute starting Monday, July 16, as NJ TRANSIT rolls out its second multilevel trainset on the system¿s busiest rail line.

The new eight-car trainset (or ¿consist¿) will join the 11-car trainset already in service on the Northeast Corridor between Trenton and New York. With the second consist in service, NJ TRANSIT will offer six departures using multilevel equipment:

TO NEW YORK

TO TRENTON

¿The customer reaction to our new generation multilevel rail cars has been overwhelmingly positive, which is a testament to our commitment to incorporate customers into the design process,¿ said New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri.

¿With NJ TRANSIT ridership at an all-time high for the fourth consecutive year, the second multilevel trainset will provide new peak-period capacity on our busiest rail line,¿ said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Richard Sarles.

The arrival of the second multilevel train will also allow NJ TRANSIT to reallocate ten single-level rail cars to trains on other rail lines, providing additional capacity.

NJ TRANSIT expects to place a third multilevel trainset in service by September, based on the production and delivery schedule provided by Bombardier Transportation, the cars¿ manufacturer.

Designed for customers by customers, the new multilevel fleet offers 15-20 percent more seating capacity than the latest generation of single-level cars, enabling NJ TRANSIT to accommodate more passengers using existing infrastructure. An eight-car multilevel train provides as many seats as a ten-car single-level train.

The cars¿ interior design features large tinted windows, indirect ceiling lighting and soothing blue tones to produce a restful and spacious passenger environment. Each car features an upper and lower seating level, as well as an open, intermediate ¿mezzanine¿ level at each end of the car¿making the cars truly ¿multilevel.¿ The mezzanine features plenty of space for customers who opt to stand¿complete with padded leaning stations¿as well as areas for wheelchairs, carts, strollers and luggage. Fully accessible restrooms are found in this area on more than half of the cars and feature refined finishes and a generous amount of space.

On the upper and lower levels, seats are arranged in a two-by-two configuration¿meaning that every seat is either a ¿window¿ or an ¿aisle¿ with no middle seat. Each seat provides 25.27 inches of knee room¿a full inch more than Comet V single-level cars¿and 2.2 inches more seat width than Comet V seats. The two-by-two configuration also results in wider aisles that facilitate passenger boarding and alighting, while making it easier for customers and crewmembers to move about the train. Four doors on each side of the car further expedite the boarding process.

Each car features high-tech automated public address systems and LED destination screens to keep customers informed. Emergency intercoms are available throughout the car¿including a call-for-assistance button in the restrooms¿and improved anti-skid flooring is featured in the vestibules and restrooms to prevent slips.

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing nearly 857,000 weekday trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 162 rail stations, 60 light rail stations and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.