New Jersey Transit 23001-23172

New Jersey Transit 23001-23172 were originally going to be 2023-2024 Motor Coach Industries D45 CRT buses. The buses were to be powered by the Cummins X12 engine, with transmission being the Allison B500.

Engine	Transmission	Seating	Destination sign
Cummins X12, 11.9L, 410 HP	Allison B500

History

At the conclusion of NJ Transit's six year contract with MCI, the bus manufacturer discontinued its D4500CT model which had become the flagship of NJ Transit's cruiser fleet. Concurrently, MCI announced the closure of its manufacturing plant in Pembina, ND. The contract for 172 new cruiser buses would represent the move into MCI's current product line, featuing the D45 CRT model. Rather than purchasing the low-entry D45 CRT LE model, NJT specified the D45 CRT which will not have the low vestibule for wheelchair passengers. Those passengers will be served by a lift similar to those on the D4500CT models, ensuring that NJT's fleet remains 100% accessible.

Amenities and safety features on the new coaches are set to include:

• 3-Point seat belt for passenger and operator seats
• Backup camera system
• 360-degree blind spot camera system
• Security camera system
• Turn warning system
• 16% increase in seating capacity
• Automatic Vehicle Monitoring System (AVM)
• Automatic Deployment Snow Chains System
• Operator’s Barrier
• Compliance with the latest emission regulations

A request for proposals (RFP) was due in June 2022 with MCI sole bidder. The contract for the 172 buses was awarded to MCI at the board meeting on November 9, 2022, with the contract value being $142,994,950, plus five percent for contingencies. The buses were to be built at MCI's plant in Crookston, Minnesota.

The prototype bus was scheduled to be built in the 3rd quarter of 2023, and all buses were expected to be delivered by the 1st quarter of 2025. These buses were intended to allow NJ Transit to replace its remaining stock of 40-foot cruiser buses. However around the same time, NJ Transit began taking back multiple 2017 and 2021-cruiser buses from Academy Bus Lines, DeCamp Bus Lines, Rockland Coaches, and Suburban Transit with those buses replacing all remaining 2001-2003 D4000 cruisers, all older 7100-series and 9000-series cruisers instead. The CRT order was shelved before ultimately being cancelled all together.