N.J. Transit is planning to buy eight additional ALP-45A dual-powered locomotives.
The agency’s Board of Directors approved the $70.5 million purchase of the locomotives manufactured by Bombardier Transit Corp.
This new order is in addition to the 17 approved at the December 2017 Board of Directors meeting and brings the total number of new ALP-45A dual-powered locomotives approved in recent years to 25. The ALP-45A locomotives are designed to operate push-pull passenger train service on both electrified and non-electrified lines at speeds of up to 125 mph in electric mode and up to 100 mph in diesel mode.
“This important purchase aligns squarely with our recently released 10-Year Strategic Plan and 5-Year Capital Plan. Improving service reliability and the customer experience are among the chief goals in both plans,” N.J. Transit President & CEO Kevin Corbett said in a news release.
“These new locomotives are far more environmentally-friendly and will provide additional flexibility to operate on both electrified and non-electrified tracks,” Corbett added. “Additionally, these locomotives will reduce the average age of our fleet, which ultimately results in improved reliability and on-time performance, and reduces service interruptions for customers.”
The ALP-45A’s can operate in electric mode whenever overhead catenary is available, which is more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly than diesel operation, officials say. The locomotives are self-rescue capability by changing power modes, redundancy by having two engines instead of one, improved diagnostic capabilities and an upgraded pneumatic system.
N.J. Transit expects delivery of the first ALP-45A locomotive from today’s order to be in the first quarter of 2022.
