That would probably get instant state and federal approval and support, unlike the two new Hudson River tunnels for trains thanks to our backwards oil and auto industry backed politicians.
3 Likes
Actual photos of the NJ Transit new multilevel III cars have been released on their social media. ETA for them entering service is sometime in 2025 but I doubt it being on time as they’re already several years overdue but they at least aren’t vaporware.
Place your bets on if the window coatings decay within the first year of service…
7 Likes
Wouldn’t be NJT if I can see out the windows
1 Like
Aren’t the windows going to be wrapped in exterior-facing ads anyway?
About time they decide to replace the windows. I guess time wasted trying an experimental solution to fix them didn’t work so they just went ahead and started replacing them which they thought about doing in 2022 when the problem started to surface.
3 Likes
https://www.njtransit.com/windows
NJT outlined some info about the foggy windows and what they are going to do about them.
4 Likes
The MultiLevel IIIs are finally starting to be delivered. It seems the livery even worse and far more lazy than the existing cars as at this point its just a huge unpainted slab of metal with small NJT colors applied.
NJT, do better, this is just plain cheap.
Image Credit: Garden State Railfan
8 Likes
They raise the fares and can’t even get a better livery. Come on they are capable of non-trash paint jobs. Just look at their heritage locomotives and even heritage themed bus wraps.
You think there’s any chance we’re seeing a placeholder livery here? Like, maybe this is just something the first few units have on them as a “cheap” branding and NJT will do better paint jobs?
No. First off, the railcars are delivered already painted and finished from the factory so what you see is what you get. Also, the official renderings show them sporting the cheap sticker job. It’s legit.
It’s worth noting that the livery was also slighty revised from the original announcement which is just as disappointing.
3 Likes
Things always look better in renderite
It arrived on NJT property and here’s the official announcement showing the true scope of the disappointment. At least the windows are clear I guess…
Keep in mind this is only one car and the original prototypes including this one were originally to be delivered for testing in the 2nd quarter of 2022 so they could be in revenue service by 2023, but given Alstom’s track record, the first examples other than this one are arriving in 2025, 3 years later despite being ordered in 2018.
NJ Transit needs to ditch Bombardier/Alstom as it isn’t just NJ Transit that is experiencing issues and this isn’t exclusive to NJT - Amtrak’s new Acela from the same company has been plagued with so many issues that they’ll probably be in service around the same time as these despite originally intending to be in service in 2021.
SEPTA learned their lesson with CRRC after they took forever to deliver not even one car on time (they were 4 years behind schedule) and ditched them, NJT needs to do the same with Alstom as we’re going on 3 years and only one car was delivered.
Enjoy the dullness. I’m not even excited about these entering despite being an NJT rider and usually getting excited about new railcars entering service. It’s nothing to write home about.
2 Likes
Is there any research that suggests this is something that transit customers care about?
I am not trying to be mean; I am just curious regarding what customers think about the appearance of the exterior of the train.
My view on this is that if the livery doesn’t block the windows with translucent / opaque wrap advertising, then there is zero effect on the passenger experience.
We all know gallery cars used on the Metra system (Chicagoland) are some of the ugliest passenger railcars around, but I’ve never heard complaints about their appearance.
1 Like
I’m not sure what others think but I do think we deserve attractive railcars that don’t look dated before they even enter service. These things are probably a close second in ugliness to the gallery cars. It’s still noting while the ugliness is most likely a personal grievance, they’re still going on 3 years behind schedule.
im sure research would show that existing transit customers do not actually care, but from a branding standpoint, some flashy new toys would probably attract new riders. see the new brightline projects, for example
2 Likes
Caltrain got these really amazing new Stadler EMU sets which does show that at least some agencies care about having flashy new trains. They replaced old gallery cars and they’re sharp, have modern features people expect from new trains while also having a desirable high capacity. These are also a proven design used in several countries and aren’t made to incredibly specific requirements that add cost and complexity to the design and construction of the railcars.
1 Like
Customers respond to branding - I know it is sometimes an esoteric science.
Having traveled the bullet trains in Japan and the trains in Europe, I can say that the experience positively impacts customer satisfaction when it is well done.
In America, trains are seen as second-class transportation - a significant loss compared to other first-world countries.
2 Likes
Amtrak is at least modernizing the look of their new trains. The new Siemens sets are looking sharp.
CTRail, another commuter agency’s new coaches also sport a modern coach design (and are in the same product catalog as the Multilevel cars) and attractive livery as well. The look of the trains matters. These coaches look like worthy successors to the Comet single-deck coaches used in NJT. They’re boxy but at least the front end and overall design sports a modern look.
4 Likes
Dude, I’ve been wondering for a while now how this company hasn’t been completely blacklisted by transit agencies. They keep screwing up in ways that create massive cost over-runs and delays.
Like how are they allowed to keep bidding on projects?
1 Like