Comet V
| Company type | Railcar model |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | April 2002 |
Area served | New York metropolitan area |
| Products | Commuter railcars |
| Parent | Alstom |
The Comet V railcar represents the fifth iteration in the Comet family, produced by Alstom. Since its introduction in April 2002, it has been utilized by commuter rail services in the New York metropolitan area, specifically New Jersey Transit and Metro-North Railroad.
Layout and design
Building upon the foundational design established with the Comet III, the Comet V preserves many of its predecessors’ characteristics. Trailer cars are equipped with six boarding doors, whereas cab cars possess five. The end doors are single-leaf and include trapdoors to accommodate low-level platforms, while the centrally located doors are double-leaf and operate exclusively at stations with high-level platforms. The car length is maintained at , and the width adheres to the standard loading gauge specifications.
A distinctive feature of Comet V cab cars is the elimination of steps and trapdoors on the vestibule door opposite the engineer’s seat, restricting boarding to high-level platforms only. Consistent with the Comet IV design, no door is present on the engineer’s side vestibule.
Interior enhancements encompass newly styled seating, expanded window dimensions, updated LED digital information displays, and a modest increase in passenger seating capacity. On the exterior, the stainless steel bodywork combined with roof-mounted air conditioning units visually sets it apart from earlier models.
The design principles of the Comet V served as a basis for the Bombardier MultiLevel Coach, which debuted in 2006 and has been manufactured by Alstom since 2021.
Door problems
A significant challenge faced by the Comet V involves malfunctions in its door opening system. Alstom implemented a novel "push to open" button for vestibule doors adjacent to end doors; however, this led to passenger confusion and frequent manual overrides. Additionally, software issues have caused door failures or erratic behavior, undermining operational dependability.
Accidents
On September 29, 2016, an NJ Transit train collided with a bumper block at Hoboken Terminal, breaching into the concourse area. This incident resulted in one fatality and more than 110 injuries. The Comet V cab car numbered 6036 suffered considerable damage due to falling debris during the accident.