Tier 4 Power For NJT River LINE

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
image description

New Jersey Transit is upgrading its River LINE DLRVs (diesel light rail vehicles) with power plants from Cummins that adhere to current U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Tier 4 emissions standards for non-road engines. The River LINE fleet consists of 20 Swiss-built Stadler Rail GTW (Gelenktriebwagen, or “articulated railcar”) 2/6 DMUs (diesel multiple-units). The replacement engines are expected to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions by at least 57%, lower particulate matter (PM) by 90%, and result in fuel savings of 10% to 15%.

The Cummins QSX15 (Tier 4/Final Stage IV), 675-hp/2,050-foot-pound-torque engines will replace the current 15-year-old Tier 1 engines that, “in addition to being less efficient than their replacements, have reached the end of their useful life,” NJT said. “Maintenance costs and shop time continues to increase as many of the necessary parts are no longer in production.”

These engines use SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) and DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) technology to achieve EPA Tier 4 compliance.

The retrofit includes upgraded railcar HVAC systems, installation of auxiliary power to reduce down time, upgraded control and diagnostic features and enhancement of the fire suppression system. NJT said these upgrades “will expand the useful life of existing River LINE vehicles to 30 years.”

Total project cost, from design to installation to revenue service, is approximately $700,000. NJT is targeting a Spring 2022 completion, and added that “there will be no impact to service as the engines are installed on the fleet.”

“NJ Transit service gets people out of cars and is one the best ways to limit state-wide greenhouse gas emissions,” said NJT President and CEO Kevin Corbett. “At the same time, these engines will help us reduce our carbon footprint and operating costs through better fuel efficiency.”

Michael Rosenthal/NJ Transit
Tags: , , , ,