NJ: NJ Transit explains why trains were canceled during the scorching heatwave

NJ Transit canceled 13 trains Wednesday due to air conditioning units that were overwhelmed by the record-breaking heat, and CEO Kris Kolluri said other trains were canceled on Monday and Tuesday for similar reasons.

The cause is exactly what commuters might guess after three record-breaking days of temperature over 100 degrees, but the agency provide more detail in customer alerts yesterday.

As the trains sat in the hot subbasement of Penn Station New York, the passenger car’s air conditioning units were pushed over their limit, Kolluri said.

The problem was primarily with the 25-year-old ALP 46 electric locomotives on trains originating mostly from Penn Station New York that were preparing to move commuters out during the afternoon rush, he said.

“In Penn Station, the (underground) pit, as it’s known, can get up to 128 degrees. That happens in extreme weather,” Kolluri said. “Especially on these engines, the air conditioning units begin not to function.”

Those and most locomotives are equipped with a feature called head end power, where the locomotive also provides power for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. To do that, those locomotives taken in air from under the engine and cycle it into the air conditioning system, he said.

“When the outside temperature is 128 degrees, imagine the tax it puts on the AC units,” Kolluri said. “That’s what was happening.”

If the air conditioning fails on a train before it is loaded and sent on its run, policy is “we won’t let a train go,” for safety reasons Kolluri said.

“Most of the cancellations were the result of A/C problems and that was the case on Monday and Tuesday was well,” he said.

Another decision was made to provide detailed information about the reasons for the cancellation on Wednesday evening.

“We decided last night around 7p.m. to put that info out, rush hour was still happening,” Kolluri said. “That was a very important moment for us to be more specific with our riders, we’ll start doing that whenever we have this extreme heat.”

Commuters have complained about the lack of information about the reasons for and causes of delays and cancellations in alerts. In February, Kolluri listed getting better information to commuters as one of his goals.

“We have an obligation to tell our riders what the issue is and what the result will be,” he said. “I wanted to make sure all the riders know what was causing the delay and what we are doing about it.”

Filters were replaced and air conditioning coolant was changed on the locomotives that had problems over the last few days, he said.

The ultimate solution will replacement of the aging ALP-46 locomotives, under a plan announced by Gov. Phil Murphy in February to replace the oldest NJ Transit trains and buses by 2031.

NJ Transit wasn’t alone in extreme weather problems. CBS 2 reported 15 New York City subways were taken out of service due to air conditioning failures. Both Amtrak, Boston’s MBTA and Maryland’s MARC commuter rail ordered trains to slow down due to the extreme heat. And the extreme heat buckled pavement on I-287.

Kolluri said he scorecard was 90% of NJ Transit trains made it to their destination albeit with some delays.

“Is it frustrating for riders, yes. But we somehow got those folks to their destination,” Kolluri said. He is a commuter on the NEC and mentioned he also was delayed.

“Today should be a little better,” he said.

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