New Jersey Transit has issued a purchase order for 183 commuter coaches to Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. The order covers the fourth year of a six-year contract.
MCI will begin production of the coaches in September of 2019. The MCI Commuter Coaches will be powered by Cummins’ next-generation X12 clean-diesel engine, which generates less noise, fewer parts, greater fuel economy and reduced exhaust emissions that comply with the latest Clear Air Act amendments. The coaches feature a 57-seat configuration, are Wi-Fi ready, seatbelt-equipped and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
MCI has served NJ Transit since 1983 and has delivered 2,944 high-floor commuter coaches. The current contract, awarded in 2015, called for a potential order of 1,222 coaches, of which 550 have been delivered. MCI also provides field service for the coaches from its service center located in Blackwood, New Jersey, and spare parts support from the NFI Parts distribution center in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
NJ Transit is the country’s third-largest transit provider, linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. The agency covers 255 routes with more than 2,200 buses. In January, NJ Transit awarded New Flyer, also a subsidiary of the NFI Group, a contract for up to 170 Xcelsior® heavy-duty transit buses. The 60-foot buses will be delivered in 2019 and 2020.
“We are extremely proud of our long-standing history with NJ Transit,” said Tom Wagner, MCI vice president of public sector. “Our goal is to continue to excel at providing high-quality, reliable, low-cost-of-operation coaches that offer unsurpassed passenger comfort and safety for riders on NJ Transit’s over-the-road express route service today and in the future.”
