PATH cars brake for energy savings

[Pablo M 201]

PATH cars brake for energy savings

 

Monday, March 31, 2008

By AMY SARA CLARK

JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

 

 

When commuters ride the new PATH cars later this year, they will probably notice the on-board TVs, more comfortable seats and brighter lights.

 

But will they notice the brakes?

 

Perhaps they should, because the new "regenerative" brakes will save 2 to 5 percent of the trains' total energy consumption, said Michael DePallo, PATH's director and general manager.

 

 

In the old PATH cars, many of which were built in the 1960s, the energy created during braking is dissipated as heat. But the new cars are able to recapture that energy and reuse it, fueling functions such as lights, air conditioning and heat, DePallo said.

 

 

Energy created during braking can also be transferred from one train to another through the third rail if they are near each other, DePallo said.

Eventually, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the system, hopes to be able to store the captured energy in substation batteries, which could save 25 percent of the energy used by the trains, DePallo said.

 

 

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and New York City's newer subway cars already use the energy-efficient brakes, as do most cities with newer train cars, said DePallo. The technology is similar to that which is used in many hybrid cars.

 

 

The Port Authority is also installing compact fluorescent bulbs in its train stations, and using energy-saving LED lights on its new cars.

"We're looking to try to save energy any way we can," he said.

 

 

The new cars are part of a planned $3.3 billion upgrade over 10 years that will also increase passenger capacity by 25 percent.

 

 

The new cars will be added to the Newark-World Trade Center line first, with a goal of adding about 15 cars a month, said Susan Bass Levin, the Port Authority's first deputy executive director.

 

 

AMY SARA CLARK can be reached at aclark@jjournal.com.

 

 

 

http://www.nj.com/jjournal/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-2/120694295215360.xml&coll=3

[East New York]

What type of cars do the PATH operate now?

[trainfan22]

What type of cars do the PATH operate now?

 

The path operate PA1/PA3/PA4s which will replaced by PA5s....

[Pablo M 201]

The path operate PA1/PA3/PA4s which will replaced by PA5s....

And PA-2s.....

 

Whats sad is the PA-4s being replaced with the PA-5s. The PA-4s are only 21 to 22 years old. They should keep them special for the Red line (NWK-WTC) when that line starts to run 10 car trains. That line can handle 8 car long trains now, so they can set the PA-4s are 8 car trains for the rush when the PA-5s come. Then when that time of 10 cars come, make them that long.

 

But, PATH wants to complete rid of the PA 1s, 2s and 3s. Then they're gonna use the PA-4s as work cars.

[metsfan]

Woohoo! I take PATH from and sometimes to newark to use the (NJT):nec: and this sumer the :njc:. I can't wait for this!!!

 

- Andy