Bombardier MultiLevel Coach

The Bombardier MultiLevel Coach is a bi-level passenger rail car manufactured by Bombardier for use on commuter rail lines. The first units were delivered in 2006 and deliveries (in various orders) continued to 2014.

Overview

There are 643 of these coaches in service as of 2015 on NJ Transit, Exo, and MARC. NJ Transit received 429 cars, including 62 cab cars, while Exo's predecessor, Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT), received 160 cars, including 26 cab cars. The MARC order consists of 39 trailers and 15 cab cars for a total of 54 cars.

The coaches were based on the Comet V and have a two-by-two seating arrangement and more knee and leg room than single-level coaches. The seats are also bigger and it has 15-30% more seating than on single-level coaches. The intermediate levels have 5 inward-facing seats on each side which flip up for wheelchairs or bicycles. On cab cars, a large equipment locker behind the cab replaces one row of seats. There are single-width side doors at intermediate levels for high-platform loading, and similar doors outboard of the bogies except at the cab position on cab cars. The latter doors of NJ Transit coaches have stepwell trapdoors, allowing these doors to be used for both high and low-platform loading. Exo coaches have one-piece end doors without traps, which can be used only for low-platform loading. There are also an automated announcement system and LED destination screens.

Eight MultiLevel cars were previously designated for the now-discontinued Atlantic City Express Service. These included the addition of first class seating sections and lounge facilities. After the ACES was discontinued in 2012, the cars were converted to regular NJT cars by Bombardier from 2013 until 2014. They re-entered NJT service in mid-2014.

Service history

The first order for the coaches was placed in December 2002 by NJ Transit when it purchased 100 cars, with deliveries beginning in 2005. In September 2005, the agency ordered 131 additional cars. After exercising further contract options, the last order of which was placed in August 2008, a total of 329 first-generation cars were eventually purchased by NJ Transit.

In December 2007, AMT placed an order for 160 cars via a base order for 30 units and options for 130 more, though all options were exercised immediately. The cars began to enter service in late 2009.

In September 2010, NJ Transit ordered 100 additional coaches, with options for 79 more. In October 2011, MARC Train ordered 54 cars—15 cab cars and 39 trailing cars—from the NJ Transit options.

In December 2018, NJ Transit ordered 113 new electric multiple unit coaches, designated MultiLevel III; the order included 58 units with AC electric propulsion systems and 55 unpowered cars. The contract included options for up to 636 more cars for NJ Transit, as well as 250 cars (including power cars) for SEPTA Regional Rail. The new multilevel cars are to replace NJ Transit's Arrow III EMUs, as well as SEPTA's Silverliner IV EMUs and Comet II/III cars. The maximum speed of the power cars is 110 mph. These cars may replace the 29 older ALP-46 electric locomotives in the future.

In October 2022, it was announced that NJ Transit will spend approximately $8 Million to replace the glazed Polycarbonate windows on the entire existing fleet. Many of the windows have become permanently clouded due to heat and UV exposure which makes them difficult to see out of.

Gallery

File:Raritan train at Newark Penn Station.jpg, NJ Transit Multilevel II coach at Newark Penn Station
File:AMTLucienLallier.jpg, Exo 3000-series MultiLevel coach at Lucien-L'Allier station
File:MARC_8046.jpg, MARC IV MultiLevel coach at Odenton station

See also

* Bombardier BiLevel Coach
* SNCF TGV Duplex
* Sydney Trains S set
* Voiture de banlieue à 2 niveaux
* Voiture État à 2 étages

References

External links

Bombardier MultiLevel CoachesSpecification Sheet; Page 10
*

{{New Jersey Transit Rail

Rail passenger cars of the United States
Railway coaches of Canada
Bombardier Transportation rail vehicles
NJ Transit Rail Operations
Exo (public transit)
Train-related introductions in 2006
Double-decker rail vehicles