Officials have unveiled the first of 174 Multilevel III train cars that are joining the fleet for NJ Transit. The new cars are expected to improve reliability, capacity and comfort across the system.

Some of the rail cars will be in service next year and a total of 174 will be phased in by 2029, officials said.

Stuck in the dark, hundreds of people were crammed aboard the 7:20 p.m. New Jersey Transit train to Trenton on July 31, as it sat in the tunnel beneath the Hudson River. They just wanted to get back to their homes in the suburbs,

The new multilevel railcars, which will start operating by mid-2025, replace some single level cars that are more than 40 years old.

New Jersey Transit is preparing to roll out new multilevel rail cars. The self-propelled rail cars are the first of their kind in North America. NJ Transit officials say it will provide increased reliability and new customer amenities,

The first modern trains procured in 2018 are set to go into service next year, and officials expect a fully modern fleet by 2029.