Newark City Subway traction power system upgrade

New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT) is planning to purchase new, modern, light rail vehicles (LRVs) to replace the aging fleet of President´s Conference Cars (PCCs) operating on the Newark City Subway (NCS). The new LRVs are expected to draw a significantly higher current than the PCCs. Maximum current demand of the LRV type considered by NJ TRANSIT is in excess of 1200 A, while the existing PCCs draw maximum current of about 300 A. In order to evaluate whether the existing NCS facilities can accommodate this increased power demand, it was necessary to review the traction power supply and distribution systems for compatibility with the proposed vehicles. The evaluation confirmed the power supply system needs to be replaced and the distribution systems needs to be upgraded. This paper describes the studies and designs required to implement these system improvements