ABB ALP-44
| Industry | Electrical equipment, locomotives |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Sweden |
| Products | Electric locomotives (including ALP-44) |
The ABB ALP-44 is an electric locomotive manufactured by ABB in Sweden from 1989 through 1997, specifically for use on the New Jersey Transit rail operations and SEPTA Regional Rail systems. It was engineered to fulfill the requirements of commuter rail services operating in the Northeastern United States.
New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit procured a total of 32 ALP-44 locomotives to serve its electrified rail corridors. The initial batch consisted of 15 units (4400–4414), known as ALP-44O (Original), which were delivered in 1990. This was followed by five ALP-44E (Extended) locomotives (4415–4419) arriving in 1995, and later, 12 ALP-44M (Microprocessor) models (4420–4431) introduced in 1996 for deployment on the then-new Midtown Direct route.
Originally, NJT intended to invest approximately $2 million in refurbishing the ALP-44 fleet through Philadelphia-based Interfleet Technology. However, by June 2009, the decision shifted toward phasing out these locomotives. To support this transition, NJT exercised an option to acquire nine additional ALP-46A units.
By the end of 2011, all ALP-44 O, E, and M versions were withdrawn from service and replaced by ALP-46 and ALP-46A locomotives. Notably, units 4405, 4407, and 4409 continued to operate on the Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) until its discontinuation in early 2012. Additionally, units 4402, 4403, 4408, and 4410 were briefly leased to Amtrak during summer 2011 to perform work train duties within the Hudson River tunnels before being returned.
In 2012, most ALP-44 locomotives were prepared for long-term storage; this involved removing pantographs and securing cab windows with steel covers. These units were relocated to Port Morris Yard and the Lackawanna Cut-Off spur track in Stanhope, New Jersey. Four ALP-44M units (4421, 4424, 4429, and 4430) remained stored at the Meadowlands Maintenance Complex. In July 2023, NJ Transit donated unit 4424 to the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey (URHS) located in Boonton.
SEPTA
SEPTA was provided with a single ALP-44S locomotive, numbered #2308, supplied by ABB as part of a settlement related to delays in delivering N5 cars for the Norristown High Speed Line. This unit was retired alongside the AEM-7 fleet when replaced by the ACS-64 locomotives in October 2018; a farewell run occurred on December 1, 2018.
Subsequently, unit 2308 along with seven AEM-7s were leased to NJ Transit to mitigate a shortage of locomotives during positive train control implementation. However, these units remained unused and were returned to SEPTA by May 2019. They were then reassigned for work service within SEPTA operations until being withdrawn in 2021. By February 2022, both AEM-7s and the ALP-44 had been retired permanently and sold; all were scrapped by late 2022.
Specifications
Derived from the Rc6 platform, the ALP-44 was developed for New Jersey Transit as a modified version of the EMD AEM-7 electric locomotive employed by Amtrak (until June 2016), MARC (until April 2017), and SEPTA (until December 2018). The designation ALP-44 stands for ASEA Locomotive Passenger with four axles delivering approximately 4.32 MW of power. The locomotive draws electricity via dual pantographs from overhead catenary lines and generates up to 7000 hp (5.2 MW), reaching maximum speeds of up to 125 mph (201 km/h). Nevertheless, operational speed limits imposed by NJ Transit and SEPTA capped performance at 100 mph (161 km/h).
ALP-44M
The ALP-44M model introduced a microprocessor-based braking system along with the EPIC brake control stand; however, it experienced recurrent software malfunctions that led to increased maintenance downtime.
See also
- EMD AEM-7 — A comparable locomotive operated by Amtrak, MARC, and SEPTA