There are many things that frustrate commuters, but not being able to see out of windows on NJ Transit’s multi-level train cars has been a pet peeve for rail riders for several years.
That includes NJ Transit’s boss, who rides the Morris & Essex lines to and from work and admits to griping about them.
“Being a commuter who complains and we also have our general counsel riding on the North Jersey Coast Line, it’s an issue that gets attention,” said Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit CEO. “We’re working with Rutgers and they’ve gone through a number...of ways to improve them.”
Now one of those methods is ready to hit the test track.
The issue, NJ Transit has found, is not one that can be solved with a simple squeegee and some elbow grease, however.
The non-transparent appearance is blamed on the effects of years of exposure to elements, acid rain, heat, and ultraviolet rays. It’s all left the windows clouded and hard to see through over time.
The frustration for riders is they can’t look out the window and see what station they’re at, especially if there is no announcement.
Initially, officials said in 2022 that the only solution was to replace the windows on 429 rail cars for $8 million. Then they announced Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation was working with them on a solution. Now Rutgers may have an answer that they’ve demonstrated and that the agency plans to test out, Corbett said.
“We’ll do a couple of cars with the process that Rutgers came up with in collaboration with our people and we’ll see how it works,” Corbett said.
That pilot program could start in another month or so, being tested on railcars as the come in to the Meadowlands Maintenance Complex for periodic inspections, he said.
“In a few months we’ll see if it’s viable and cost effective and if it isn’t, we’ll look at replacing those windows,” Corbett said.
Train car windows have to meet federal standards for more than just being see-through.
They must meet government standards for holding up when hit by a projectile and in case of a derailment. They also must be flexible enough so that passengers and rescuers can remove them to access the train in case of a derailment or a crash, according to Federal Railroad Administration standards.
The two most common rail car window materials are tempered glass and a polycarbonate plastic. Metro-North Railroad and NJ Transit use a single pane of polycarbonate glazing almost a half inch thick, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @CommutingLarry.
