Bombardier MultiLevel Coach

Bi-level passenger rail car

Not to be confused with Bombardier BiLevel Coach or Bombardier Double-deck Coach.

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|

Adessia Coach
MultiLevel Coach

NJ Transit MultiLevel cab car #7043 passing Mountain Station

Interior of an Exo MultiLevel coach

In service| 2006–present
Manufacturer| Bombardier Transportation/Alstom[1]
Entered service| MultiLevel I:

* NJT: 2006
* Exo: 2009
* MARC: 2014

MultiLevel II: 2012
Number under construction| 374
Number built| 643
Number in service| 643
Capacity|

* 127-130 (cab car)
* 132-135 (trailer car w/ restroom)
* 142 (trailer car)
* 110 (power car)

Operators| NJ Transit, Exo, MARC
Specifications
Car body construction| Stainless steel
Car length| 85 ft (25.91 m)
Width| 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)
Height| 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Platform height| 4 ft 3 in (1.295 m)
Wheel diameter| 36 in (914 mm) (new)
33 in (838 mm) (worn)
Maximum speed| 110 mph (177 km/h)
Weight|

* 139,000 lb (63,049 kg) (cab car)
* 134,380 lb (60,954 kg) (trailer car w/ restroom)
* 132,490 lb (60,096 kg) (trailer car)
* 181,000 lb (82,100 kg) (power car)

Power output| 3,082 hp (2,298 kW)
(power car only)
Tractive effort| 160 kN (36,000 lbf) starting (power car only)
Power supply| 480 V 3-phase AC 60 Hz
Minimum turning radius| 250 ft (76 m) radius/ 23° (single unit)
Braking system(s)| Pneumatic disc and shoe
Regenerative/Dynamic
(power car only)
Track gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Notes/references
Sourced from [2] and [3] except where noted

The MultiLevel Coach is a bi-level passenger rail car for use on commuter rail lines. Originally built by Bombardier Transportation beginning in 2006, they are now built by Alstom since 2021, who markets the coaches as part of their Adessia Coach series.[4]

The first units were delivered by Bombardier in 2006 for New Jersey Transit and Montreal's Exo. Over 643 have been delivered in various orders, including a later purchase by Maryland's MARC. NJ Transit later ordered an additional 113 cars in 2021 from Alstom, which purchased Bombardier.

## Overview

[edit]

There are 643 MultiLevel Coach[5] cars in service as of 2015 on NJ Transit, Montreal's Exo, and Maryland's MARC. NJ Transit received 429 cars, including 62 cab cars. Exo has purchased 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.

Compared to the Bi-Level Coach, the MultiLevel has a smaller loading gauge and was specifically designed to fit through the North River Tunnels under the Hudson River.[6]

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.[7][8]

### Service history

[edit]

The first order for the coaches was placed in December 2002 by NJ Transit when it purchased 100 cars, with deliveries beginning in 2005.[9] In September 2005, the agency ordered 131 additional cars.[10] 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.[11][12]

In December 2007, Exo's predecessor, the Agence métropolitaine de transport (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.[13]

In September 2010, NJ Transit ordered 100 additional coaches, designated MultiLevel II, with options for 79 more.[11] In October 2011, MARC Train ordered 54 cars—15 cab cars and 39 trailing cars—from the NJ Transit options.[14] The remaining 25 options were not exercised.

In December 2018, NJ Transit ordered 113 additional coaches, designated MultiLevel III; the order included 55 unpowered cars and 58 powered cars with AC electric propulsion systems, which when coupled to other MultiLevel cars will form multiple units, allowing the train to be propelled without a separate electric locomotive.[15] The contract included options for up to 636 more cars, of which, as of May 2025, a total of 374 have been ordered.[16] The new multilevel cars are to replace NJ Transit's Arrow III EMUs,[16] remaining single level Comet equipment, and may replace the 29 older ALP-46 electric locomotives in the future. The maximum speed of the power cars is 110 mph. Alstom, which purchased Bombardier in 2021, will complete the order.[1]

In October 2022, it was announced that NJ Transit will spend approximately US$8 million to replace the glazed polycarbonate windows on the entire fleet. Many of the windows have become permanently clouded due to heat and UV exposure, making visibility difficult.[17]

## Operators

[edit]

Operator  | Years Built  | Qty. | Notes

|
|
|

NJ Transit  | 2006–2009  | 329  | 52 cab cars, 277 trailers (99 w/ restroom)
2012–2013  | 100  | 10 cab cars, 90 trailers
2024–2027  | 374  | 112 power cars, 100 cab cars, 162 trailers (18 w/ restroom)
Exo  | 2008–2011  | 160  | 26 cab cars, 134 trailers
MARC  | 2014  | 54  | 15 cab cars, 39 trailers
Total  | 1,017  |

## Gallery

[edit]

* NJ Transit Multilevel coach at Maplewood

* NJ Transit Multilevel II coach at Newark Penn Station

* Exo 3000-series MultiLevel coach at Lucien-L'Allier station

* MARC IV MultiLevel coach at Odenton station

## See also

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Alstom in the United States". Alstom. Retrieved January 18, 2023. "Commuter rail cars for New Jersey"
2. ^ "Summary Minutes MARC Riders Advisory Council Meeting" (PDF). Bombardier (via MARC Riders Advisory Council). May 16, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 18, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
3. ^ "NJT Previews ML III Hybrid EMUs". Railway Age. October 31, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
4. ^ "Adessia commuter trains: The backbone of urban life". Alstom. Retrieved November 7, 2023. "Adessia Max™ solution"
5. ^ Bombardier. "Multilevel Coaches in the USA and Canada". Retrieved June 23, 2010.
6. ^ "NEW MULTILEVEL RAIL CARS DEDICATED TO 9 NEW JERSEY COMMUNITIES". NJ Transit. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
7. ^ "Change Order 1 – ACE's Car Conversion and Reliability Improvement" (PDF). NJ Transit. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-10-29. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
8. ^ "Change Order 1 – ACE's Car Conversion and Reliability Improvement" (PDF). www.webcitation.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-05-02. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
9. ^ "N.J. Transit Buying New Cars to Ease Crowds". The New York Times. December 12, 2002. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
10. ^ "New Jersey Transit orders another 131 cars from Bombardier". Progressive Railroading. September 28, 2005. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
11. ^ a b "Bombardier Transportation awarded $267 million railcar contract". Press-Republican. September 1, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
12. ^ "World rolling stock market September 2008". Railway Gazette International. September 27, 2008. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
13. ^ "Bombardier to supply 160 cars for Montreal commuter service". Trains Magazine. December 18, 2007. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
14. ^ "MARC to purchase 54 bi-level commuter cars". Trains Magazine. November 4, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
15. ^ "It's official: Bombardier signs with NJ Transit for Multilevel III contract". Railway Age. January 9, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
16. ^ a b "For NJ Transit, another rolling stock innovation". 12 December 2018.
17. ^ "NJ Transit to spend $8M for new train windows you can actually see out of". 10 October 2022.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bombardier MultiLevel Coach.

* Bombardier MultiLevel Coaches
* Specification Sheet; Page 10
* "For NJ Transit, another rolling stock innovation". Railway Age.

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