First Multilevel III commuter car delivered to NJ TRANSIT
posted on 16th Apr 2026 08:14
On 13 April 2026, Alstom announced that it has delivered the first Multilevel III commuter car to NJ TRANSIT. The delivery marks the start of a 374‑strong order and begins the arrival of a new generation of higher‑capacity trains for one of the country’s busiest commuter rail systems. The Multilevel III vehicles form part of Alstom’s Adessia portfolio.
The new double-deck trains will replace legacy single‑level cars that have been in service for more than 40 years. The new vehicles are capable of traveling 177 km/h, making them up to 48 km/h faster than the previous fleet. This boost in speed enables NJ TRANSIT to enhance schedule reliability and accommodate increasing passenger demand. In addition, the Multilevel III vehicles feature amenities such as USB charging ports in every row as well as audio announcements and digital signs informing passengers of upcoming station stops.
NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kris Kolluri said: “These new multilevel cars will dramatically improve reliability, expand capacity and significantly enhance the on-board customer experience. For the first time in our agency’s history, we will proudly deliver a fully modernized rail fleet for our customers by 2031.”
The first car delivered to the Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny, NJ, is a power car, which was developed by Alstom in close partnership with NJ TRANSIT to allow train consists to operate without locomotives. The power cars include electric propulsion and more than 100 passenger seats. They will be combined with other power cars, trailer cars and driving trailers to form EMU that will accelerate faster, thus improving trip times, while also providing built‑in redundancy. The flexible design will enable the agency to adjust train lengths to accommodate passenger volumes for service changes and special events.
NJ TRANSIT ordered the Multilevel III vehicles in phases over the past seven years. The transit agency - the third largest in the country - has ordered 112 power cars, 100 driving trailers and 162 trailer cars. The vehicles are Buy-America compliant, consisting of at least 70 % U.S.-made content and assembled in Plattsburgh, NY, by Alstom’s skilled unionized workforce
