NJ Transit issues RFI for real-time transit communications system
New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) has issued a request for information (RFI), as they seek information from companies that provide real-time transit communications systems. The agency says that by studying the most current available technologies within the industry, it will learn more about existing capabilities to inform a scope of work for a forthcoming procurement process as part of the next phase of its customer communication technology improvements to better deliver real-time information and system status across all of its communications channels to enhance the customer experience.
According to the agency, the RFI will lead to a unified customer communications platform capable of utilizing modern technology to increase accuracy, efficiency, timeliness and consistency of customer communications across the statewide transit system.
“Like systems at many companies and agencies around the globe, NJ Transit’s customer communication tools were developed over decades often as independent, disparate systems,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri. “This requires significant manual intervention across multiple systems to provide the most consistent, up-to-date information. Technology solutions exist today that make it possible for us to deliver consistently accurate, unified, real-time information to customers, regardless of the communication channel our customers rely on for information. We are committed to delivering a solution for our customers that transforms the way we communicate travel information.”
The RFI asks companies to share information regarding commercially available platforms, custom-developed systems and innovative ways to integrate these systems using artificial intelligence and other tools to provide customers with a single source of accurate and timely information regarding train and bus status, across multiple platforms, including NJ Transit’s mobile app, website, email and text alerts, digital station signage and more.
Currently, NJ Transit notes it disseminates customer communications through multiple systems including:
- Station and onboard digital signage
- DepartureVision and MyBus systems
- Mobile applications
- Websites and microsites
- SMS and push notifications
- Email alerts
- Social media platforms
- Real-time data feeds and third-party data feeds
- Public address and operational messaging systems
NJ Transit says the RFI advances the ongoing modernization already underway and unifies these systems into an authoritative source providing accurate, up-to-date information to customers consistently and simultaneously across all communication channels. The new platform will be capable of supporting real-time operational communications, improving consistency and speed of customer messaging and enhancing accessibility and multilingual communications. The agency also seeks to build the new system in a way that can readily be updated and expanded to accommodate growth and future needs.
According to the agency, the RFI is being issued solely for informational purposes to enable NJ Transit to study and develop the best solutions for its needs at a reasonable cost. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 17, 2026. NJ Transit plans to host an industry day in August for interested parties to provide an overview of the project,the process and timeline. Once that process is completed, the agency will commence a more formal procurement process. NJ Transit expects to award a final contract to create the new system in 2027.
NJ Transit says the Unified Customer Communications System project follows on the heels of a completely redesigned mobile app and a $3 billion Fleet Modernization program, in which the agency approved the purchase of 374 new Multilevel III train cars to fully replace its aging fleet, and since 2018, has received more than 1,000 new buses with authorization to purchase 1,400 additional buses. The fleet is expected to be fully modernized by 2031, for the first time in NJ Transit’s 40-year history.