The ALP-45DP is a “dual mode” locomotive, capable of drawing power from either overhead electrical wires or its own pair of 12-cylinder Caterpillar diesel engines. These flexible locomotives were designed to provide a one-seat commute from NJ TRANSIT’s various diesel-only lines into the electrified territory that leads to New York City’s Penn Station. This fulfills the requirement of not operating diesels through the North River Tunnels and within the subterranean Penn Station complex. Produced by Bombardier Transportation in Kassel, Germany, the first ALP-45DP locomotive entered service on NJ TRANSIT on May 30, 2012.
NJ TRANSIT’s 35 ALP-45DP locomotives are commonly seen on commuter trains traversing the Morristown Line, Montclair-Boonton Line, Raritan Valley Line, and North Jersey Coast Line. These lines do not have overhead electrical wires for their entire length, necessitating a change of power source somewhere en-route. Previously, locomotives or entire trainsets would have to be changed, inconveniencing riders. The ALP-45DP alleviates this need, performing the switch from diesel to electric power (or vice versa) in just under two minutes during a routine station stop.
Concurrent with its purchase of ALP-45DP locomotives, NJ TRANSIT also purchased 62 multi-level cab cars from Bombardier Transportation. These cab cars are used on the opposite end of the train from the ALP-45DP locomotive to facilitate “push-pull” operations, where the engineer in the cab car can control the locomotive pushing from the other end of the train. A cab car provides an engineer with all of the same controls as a locomotive cab, allowing the train to reverse direction without turning around. Cab cars also include all standard locomotive safety features, such as a horn and bell.
The multi-levels’ fixed 2-2 seating arrangement provides ample legroom and maximizes passenger comfort while increasing capacity. All of NJ TRANSIT’s cab cars also include toilets. NJ TRANSIT’s multi-level cab cars have a capacity of 127 commuters (approximately 17% more than its single-level counterpart, the Comet V). These cars routinely operate over most routes on both the Hoboken and Newark Divisions of NJ TRANSIT, carrying over 300,000 commuters daily to and from destinations all over New Jersey and into New York’s busy Penn Station.
In addition to its multi-level cab cars, NJ TRANSIT operates an additional 367 multi-level trailer coaches without cabs. Ninety-nine of these cars include a toilet and have a passenger seating capacity of 132 commuters. The remaining 268 trailer cars do not have a toilet, and feature seating for 142 passengers. The multi-level trailer cars are always operated in matching sets (with a multi-level cab car on one end and a locomotive on the other), and these cars carry commuters over 2.2 billion miles every year.
Approximately 20 multi-level trailer cars on NJ TRANSIT are adorned with one of four vinyl wraps promoting railroad safety. These models feature crisp lettering and designs created directly from the prototype’s original artwork.
