How healthy is the North American passenger-rail locomotive market? It’s pretty healthy, power suppliers say, citing major new- and remanufactured-unit orders from such players as Amtrak, VIA Rail Canada Inc. and Chicago’s Metra.
In December 2018, Amtrak awarded an $850 million contract to Siemens Mobility for 75 diesel locomotives. The railroad will use Charger dual-powered units will be used primarily on long-distance routes, and has options to purchase more units for use on some state-supported routes, according to Amtrak officials.
In February, VIA Rail — which operates some of the oldest trains on the continent, some dating back to the 1950s — contracted with Siemens Canada for 32 new trainsets, including locomotives that meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Tier 4 emission standard. They will replace the railroad’s fleet that operates in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, which serves more than 4.5 million passengers annually and is VIA Rail’s busiest route.
Also in February, Metra announced a $70.9 million contract with Progress Rail to purchase 15 remanufactured locomotives. The deal calls for reconfiguring EMD SD70MAC freight locomotives for passenger use and refurbishing or upgrading all components to meet the EPA’s Tier 3 emissions standard. Once remanufactured, the locomotives will be designated as SD70MACH and feature a similar design to Metra’s F59 locomotives, enabling the agency to use the same parts inventory, Metra officials said.
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