N.J. Transit marked the beginning of testing the first of 25 new ALP-45 dual-power locomotives manufactured by Alstom during a ceremony held on Track A at Newark Penn Station.
“These new dual-power locomotives deliver on Governor Murphy’s commitment to make capital investments in NJ TRANSIT, improve service reliability, and improve the environment,” NJDOT Commissioner and N.J. Transit Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said in a news release. “They produce zero emissions when running on electric power and have fewer emissions when running on diesel power then the all-diesel locomotives they are replacing.”
The ALP-45 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.
“It represents the first tangible evidence of a process we started three years ago to renew our entire rail fleet,” N.J. Transit President & CEO Kevin Corbett said in a news release.
“One new dual-power locomotive is here today, but more are arriving this year through early next year, and eight more are on order,” Corbett added. “In just two years, we begin taking delivery of 113 new self-propelled multilevel rail cars to replace the 40-year-old plus Arrow III cars, and all of these new locomotives and rail cars promise to significantly improve service and reliability for our customers.”
The locomotives will meet the current EPA Tier IV requirements, the most rigorous air quality standard to date for new locomotives, reducing emissions compared to the locomotives to be replaced when operating in diesel mode. They produce zero emissions in electric mode.
The ALP-45s, which offer a significant increase in horsepower, acceleration and available head-end power, will undergo dynamic qualification and acceptance testing for about six weeks. Then, they will be prepared to enter revenue service.
