NJ Transit Authorizes Contract with Foley-Caterpillar for ALP-45 Maintenance Work

Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
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NJ Transit’s Board of Directors on Dec. 14 approved a contract with Piscataway, N.J.-based Foley-Caterpillar to perform key state-of-good-repair maintenance on the engines of its ALP-45 fleet, which will allow the dual-powered locomotives to “maintain their current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier III emissions standards and continue the environmental benefits they provide compared to the older locomotives they replaced.”

The contract authorizes Foley-Caterpillar to overhaul the ALP-45 fleet’s 70 engines (two per locomotive) at a cost not to exceed $34,854,248.48 plus 5% contingency, NJ Transit said. The Bombardier Transportation designed and engineered ALP-45 fleet consists of 35 locomotives, which began entering service in 2012 and can operate under electric or diesel power. This flexibility, NJ Transit says, “makes them critical assets to the system.” Each locomotive contains two Caterpillar 3512 HD high-speed diesel engines, which, to remain compliant with EPA regulations, must have all emission related maintenance per the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s maintenance instructions.

According to NJ Transit, the engine overhaul is required at approximately 18,000 hours of operation and includes:

  • Engine inspection and replacement parts, such as turbochargers, cylinder heads, fuel injectors and pistons.
  • Replacement of Diesel Oxidation Catalyst.
  • Replacement of engine mounts.
  • Replacement of generator coupling element.
  • Overhaul of generator.

The Tier III emissions standards of the ALP-45 fleet, when they were put into service for NJ Transit, realized an estimated emissions reduction of approximately 83% Particulate Matter and 42% NOx annually, the agency said.

To further support the agency’s goal of a reduced carbon footprint, NJ Transit says 25 new Tier IV compliant dual powered locomotives continue to arrive and are being put into service from purchases in December 2017 (17) and July 2020 (8). Currently, 13 of the 24 locomotives have been put into service and the fourteenth is being commissioned. There is an estimated emissions reduction of approximately 93% Particulate Matter and 85% NOx annually when compared to the oldest of the diesel locomotives, which will be retired, NJ Transit said.

“Keeping our trains in a state-of-good-repair is critically important to realizing the environmental benefits these locomotives offer,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “Performing this maintenance keeps these engines operating cleanly while minimizing the impact on our environment.”

“Aligned with NJ Transit’s commitment to sustainability, the locomotive engine overhaul approved by our Board today will maintain compliance with EPA regulations for Tier III emissions, which has resulted in a significant reduction in annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “The overhaul will have the added benefit of improving overall rail service reliability for our customers.”

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