The Siemens Charger is a family of
diesel-electric passenger
locomotive
A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor ...
s designed and manufactured by
Siemens Mobility
Siemens Mobility GmbH is a separately-managed company of Siemens, arising from a corporate restructuring effective 1 August 2018. With its global headquarters in Munich, Siemens Mobility has four core business units: Mobility Management, dedi ...
for the North American market.
There are five variants of the Charger, tailored for different operators and types of service: ALC-42 for
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
long-distance
Long distance or Long-distance may refer to:
*Long-distance calling
* Long-distance operator
* Long-distance relationship
* Long-distance train
*Long-distance anchor pylon, see dead-end tower
Footpaths
* Long-distance trail
*European long-d ...
service, ALC-42E
dual mode
A dual-mode vehicle (DMV) is a vehicle that can operate on conventional road surfaces as well as a railway track or a dedicated track known as a " guideway". The development of these vehicles started together with personal rapid transport syst ...
for Amtrak
inter-city and long-distance routes that serve the
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
, SC-44 for Amtrak state-supported inter-city service or commuter rail operators, SCB-40 for
Brightline
Brightline (reporting mark BLFX) is an inter-city rail route between Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida that runs on track owned by Florida East Coast Railway.
Brightline is the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger railroad ...
inter-city service and SCV-42 for
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...
inter-city service.
The first production Charger, a SC-44, was unveiled on March 26, 2016, and entered revenue service on August 24, 2017. It was followed by the SCB-40, which inaugurated Brightline service on January 13, 2018. The first ALC-42 was delivered to Amtrak on June 17, 2021 and entered revenue service on February 8, 2022 on the ''
Empire Builder
The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...
''.
The Charger is often paired with
Venture
Venture may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
*The Ventures, an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958
*"A Venture", 1971 song by the band Yes
*''Venture'', a 2010 EP by AJR
Games
* ''Venture'' (video game), a 1981 arcade gam ...
passenger cars, also built by Siemens, as part of a trainset.
Design
The Charger is powered by a
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...
16-cylinder QSK95 4-stroke high speed diesel engine, which meets
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
’s more stringent
Tier 4 emissions standards that took effect in 2015. Power output varies by model: the SCB-40 produces ,
the SC-44 produces , and both the SCV-42 and ALC-42 produce . The maximum speed in service is .
The locomotive shares much of its overall design with the Siemens
Vectron diesel and electric locomotives used in Europe and the
Siemens ACS-64
The Siemens ACS-64, or Amtrak Cities Sprinter, is an electric locomotive designed by Siemens Mobility for use on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and the Keystone Corridor in the northeastern United States. The design was based on locomotives Sie ...
electric locomotive built for Amtrak.
Four
Insulated-gate bipolar transistor
An insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is a three-terminal power semiconductor device primarily used as an electronic switch, which, as it was developed, came to combine high efficiency and fast switching. It consists of four alternating lay ...
(IGBT)
power inverter
A power inverter, inverter or invertor is a power electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The resulting AC frequency obtained depends on the particular device employed. Inverters do the opp ...
s carry electric current to each of the four AC
traction motors
A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric or hydrogen vehicles, elevators or electric multiple unit.
Traction motors are used in electrically powered rail vehicles (electric multiple uni ...
. A static inverter off of the main prime mover supplies
head-end power
In rail transport, head-end power (HEP), also known as electric train supply (ETS), is the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive (or a generator car) at the front or 'head' of a train, p ...
(HEP). The locomotive also features
dynamic braking
Dynamic braking is the use of an electric traction motor as a generator when slowing a vehicle such as an electric or diesel-electric locomotive. It is termed " rheostatic" if the generated electrical power is dissipated as heat in brake grid r ...
with regenerative capability, allowing the locomotive to divert power generated by dynamic braking away from the resistor grids to HEP and onboard locomotive auxiliary power demands.
In response to a 2013
Request for Information from
Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State public benefit corporations, public authority of the U.S. state of New Yor ...
, Siemens said they would be capable of producing a dual-mode variant of the Charger with onboard energy storage for use by Metro-North and the
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...
, as well as intercity service on Amtrak's
Empire Corridor
The Empire Corridor is a passenger rail corridor in New York State running between Penn Station in New York City and . Major cities on the route include Poughkeepsie, Albany, Schenectady, Amsterdam, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo ...
.
California's SC-44s have aerodynamic "
spoilers" on the rear of their roofs that match the height of bi-level
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
and
Surfliner cars.
The Charger series competes with other Tier 4 compliant locomotives, such as the
EMD F125
The EMD F125 "Spirit" is a four-axle passenger diesel locomotive manufactured by Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) for the North American market since 2015. It is powered by a Caterpillar C175-20 V20 diesel engine rated at . The locomotive is capable ...
and the
MPI MPXpress
MPXpress is a series of diesel-electric passenger train locomotives designed for commuter rail service. The locomotives are built by MotivePower, a subsidiary of Wabtec. To date, MPI has offered five main variants: MP36PH-3S, MP36PH-3C, MP40PH- ...
MP54AC. However, unlike the Charger series, both the F125 and MP54AC have struggled to find customers, selling fewer than 50 units each.
Service history
![Charger pushing San Joaquin at Jack London Square, November 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Charger_pushing_San_Joaquin_at_Jack_London_Square%2C_November_2017.JPG)
The first production SC-44 unit was unveiled on March 26, 2016. The first two Charger locomotives to leave Siemens' factory in
Florin, California
Florin is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento– Roseville–Folsom Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 52,388 at the 2020 census, up from 47,513 at th ...
were transported to the
Transportation Technology Center
The Transportation Technology Center (TTC) is a railroad equipment testing and training facility located northeast of Pueblo, Colorado, owned by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). It was built in 1971 as the High Speed Ground Test Center ...
(TTC) in
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo () is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, Pueblo County, Colorado ...
in June 2016 and underwent testing of performance metrics such as acceleration and braking. The first Brightline SCB-40 locomotives were delivered in December 2016 to undergo testing in Florida.
In February 2017, Amtrak and
WSDOT
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT or WashDOT, both ) is a governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of transportation infrastructure in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. Establi ...
began testing one of the Midwest-bound locomotives for federal certification along the
''Cascades'' corridor in the Pacific Northwest.
Test runs were conducted on the Midwest and Northern California routes in April and May. Testing at up to at TTCI, on the corridors, and on the
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
in September 2016 resulted in a federal certification for operations.
Revenue testing on the ''
Capitol Corridor
The ''Capitol Corridor'' is a passenger train route in Northern California operated by Amtrak between San Jose, in the Bay Area, and Auburn, in the Sacramento Valley. The route is named after the two points most trains operate between, San J ...
'' and ''
San Joaquins
The ''San Joaquins'' is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak in California's San Joaquin Valley. Six daily round trips run between its southern terminus at Bakersfield and Stockton, with onward service to Sacramento (all round trips) an ...
'' routes in Northern California began on May 25, 2017. During these tests, the trains operated with a second locomotive in case of failure. The Northern California units were formally accepted and approved for solo service on October 23, 2017. The SC-44 entered revenue testing on the Midwest routes in July 2017, with solo revenue service beginning on a ''
Hiawatha Service
The ''Hiawatha Service'', or simply ''Hiawatha'', is an 86-mile (138 km) train route operated by Amtrak on the western shore of Lake Michigan between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, the name was historically applied to ...
'' train on August 24, 2017.
Revenue service on the ''Cascades'' route began in November 2017.
On December 18, 2017, Washington state SC-44 #1402 was wrecked in
a derailment of a ''Cascades'' train on the
Point Defiance Bypass
The Point Defiance Bypass (officially the Lakeview Subdivision) is a rail line between the cities of DuPont, Washington, DuPont and Tacoma, Washington, Tacoma in Pierce County, Washington, Pierce County, Washington (state), Washington. It was or ...
.
Brightline began revenue operations with its SCB-40 locomotives on January 13, 2018. The first Chargers for MARC began testing that month, and revenue service began on April 5, 2018. Pre-revenue testing began on the ''
Pacific Surfliner
The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is a passenger train service serving the communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.
The service carried 2,924,117 passengers during fiscal year 2016, a 3.4% increase from F ...
'' in October 2018; revenue service began later that year.
The first ALC-42 for Amtrak's long distance trains was put into service on the westbound ''
Empire Builder
The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...
'' on February 8, 2022 after extensive testing in the Midwest and on the ''Empire Builder'' route. Of the 2 units on the inaugural service, one was Amtrak's
"Day One" heritage unit #301.
Customers
Altamont Corridor Express
California regional commuter line
Altamont Corridor Express
The Altamont Corridor Express (also known as ACE, formerly Altamont Commuter Express) is a commuter rail service in California, connecting Stockton and San Jose during peak hours only. ACE is named for the Altamont Pass, through which it runs ...
ordered four SC-44 locomotives in April 2018, with deliveries beginning in December 2019. They entered revenue service in 2020.
Amtrak
![Siemens ALC-42 Union Station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Siemens_ALC-42_Union_Station.jpg)
National Network
On December 21, 2018, Amtrak ordered 75 ALC-42 locomotives with options for additional 100. The first locomotive entered service in February 2022 with the last expected by 2024.
Compared with the SC-44, changes were made to the ALC-42 to make it more suitable for long-distance service: additional
positive train control
Positive train control (PTC) is a family of automatic train protection systems deployed in the United States. Most of the United States' national rail network mileage has a form of PTC. These systems are generally designed to check that trains a ...
systems for nationwide service, a larger diesel fuel tank (instead of ), a larger
diesel exhaust fluid
Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF; also known as AUS 32 and marketed as AdBlue) is a liquid used to reduce the amount of air pollution created by a diesel engine. Specifically, DEF is an aqueous urea solution made with 32.5% urea and 67.5% deionized w ...
tank, a larger
sand tank, a more powerful 1,000-kilowatt
head-end power
In rail transport, head-end power (HEP), also known as electric train supply (ETS), is the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive (or a generator car) at the front or 'head' of a train, p ...
generator (instead of 600 kw), an extended nose section with remodeled headlights for ease of repair in the event of minor front-end collision, and a
prime mover
Prime mover may refer to:
Philosophy
*Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings
Engineering
* Prime mover (engine), motor, a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc) into energy ...
de-rated to to lengthen maintenance intervals.
Assembly of the first ALC-42 began in March 2020. On August 5, 2020, Amtrak announced that one of the first six locomotives will be painted in a replica of the "Day 1" livery to commemorate 50 years of Amtrak service, while the other five will feature a preliminary "Phase VI" paint scheme. The remainder of the fleet will introduce a new "Phase VII" livery. By February 2021, 12 units had begun production, with the first locomotive, AMTK 300, delivered to Amtrak on June 17. The first ALC-42 locomotives entered revenue service on the ''
Empire Builder
The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...
'' on February 8, 2022. On the same day, Amtrak announced that they had ordered an additional 50 ALC-42s, bringing the total number of locomotives ordered to 125.
Northeast Corridor
Amtrak plans to purchase at least 65 intercity trainsets with dual-mode ALC-42E locomotives from Siemens. The trainsets will be used primarily on routes that operate over both electrified and non-electrified track, which currently require costly and lengthy locomotive swaps when transitioning between electrified and non-electrified territory.
In diesel mode, the ALC-42E will work like a typical diesel–electric locomotive, using its diesel engine to generate electricity for its motors. Each ALC-42E will be paired with a special trailer car that will have equipment to support electric mode on the end closest to the locomotive, and a passenger seating area on the other. There are two types of trailer cars:
* An ''Auxiliary Power Vehicle'' (APV) will be used on trains that use track with
overhead line
An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as:
* Overhead catenary
* Overhead contact system (OCS)
* Overhead equipmen ...
s. Equipped with a pantograph and transformers, the APV will supply electricity to the ALC-42E as well as additional motors on its own powered truck. The ALC-42E/APV pairing will replace Amtrak's existing
Siemens ACS-64
The Siemens ACS-64, or Amtrak Cities Sprinter, is an electric locomotive designed by Siemens Mobility for use on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and the Keystone Corridor in the northeastern United States. The design was based on locomotives Sie ...
electric locomotives on trains that use the Northeast Corridor for part of their route.
* A ''battery car'' will be used on trains that access New York Penn Station via the
Empire Connection
The West Side Line, also called the West Side Freight Line, is a railroad line on the west side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. North of Penn Station, from 34th Street, the line is used by Amtrak passenger service heading north via ...
, which has a
third rail
A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway t ...
instead of overhead lines. The battery car will supply electricity to the ALC-42E in areas where diesel engine use is prohibited. The ALC-42E/battery car pairing will replace Amtrak's existing
GE Genesis
General Electric Genesis (officially trademarked GENESIS) is a series of passenger diesel locomotives produced by GE Transportation, then a subsidiary of General Electric. Between 1992 and 2001, a total of 321 units were built for Amtrak, Metro- ...
P32AC-DM dual mode locomotives, which draw electricity from the third rail in electric mode.
State-supported corridors
The
Illinois Department of Transportation
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is a state agency in charge of state-maintained public roadways of the U.S. state of Illinois. In addition, IDOT provides funding for rail, public transit and airport projects and administers fuel ...
(IDOT), in conjunction with its counterparts in California, Michigan, Missouri and Washington, purchased 32 SC-44 locomotives for state-supported corridor services, operated by
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
under contract.
The $225 million order placed in March 2014 included options for an additional 75 corridor-configured locomotives
In 2015, IDOT ordered 12 additional units for use on the upgraded ''
Lincoln Service
The ''Lincoln Service'' is a higher-speed rail service operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri. The train is a part of the ''Illinois Service'' and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transp ...
'' corridor. California ordered 14 additional units in November 2015 for use on the ''
Pacific Surfliner
The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is a passenger train service serving the communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.
The service carried 2,924,117 passengers during fiscal year 2016, a 3.4% increase from F ...
'' beginning in 2018, plus two more units in 2016 for the Northern California services.
Washington state ordered an additional unit to replaced the one lost in the
2017 Washinton train derailment and two more in connection with its purchase of new Siemens trainsets.
A total of 66 locomotives (32 base and 34 options) were ordered for Amtrak state corridors in this contract: 22 for California, 11 for Washington state, and 33 for the Midwest states. Another 8 options were exercised by
MARC Marc or MARC may refer to:
People
* Marc (given name), people with the first name
* Marc (surname), people with the family name
Acronyms
* MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging,
* MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system o ...
, bringing total contract orders to 74.
Brightline
![BrightLine test (40486405410)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/BrightLine_test_%2840486405410%29.jpg)
In September 2014,
Brightline
Brightline (reporting mark BLFX) is an inter-city rail route between Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida that runs on track owned by Florida East Coast Railway.
Brightline is the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger railroad ...
purchased ten SCB-40 locomotives with options for an additional eleven.
The locomotives are used in pairs, bookending four passenger cars (expandable to seven) on Brightline's
Miami–West Palm Beach
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
service. The SCB-40s have a streamlined front end that conceals the front coupler behind a removable nose cone and produce a maximum of instead of the on the SC-44.
Brightline later ordered five additional trainsets and one extra locomotive (eleven locomotives total) for use on the extension to Orlando, with delivery between September 2021 and 2023.
Coaster
![SC-44 At Oceanside-NCTD](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/SC-44_At_Oceanside-NCTD.jpg)
In June 2018, the
North County Transit District
The North County Transit District (typically abbreviated as NCTD) is the agency responsible for public transportation in Northern San Diego County, California. The agency manages the COASTER commuter rail service between Oceanside and San Die ...
Board of Directors approved the purchase of five SC-44s for its San Diego-area
Coaster
Coaster (stylized as COASTER) is a commuter rail service in the central and northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States operated by the North County Transit District (NCTD). The commuter rail line features eight s ...
commuter rail service, replacing five older
F40PH locomotives. Deliveries began in August 2020 and are expected to conclude in the spring of 2021.
Two additional units were approved in June 2019, and another two in September. These additional locomotives will replace two existing F59PHI locomotives and allow increased service levels.
The first five locomotives entered revenue service on February 8, 2021.
Exo
In January 2022, Montreal's
Exo
Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...
ordered 10 Siemens Chargers to update the fleet. They are planned to replace the aging
F59PH locomotives.
MARC
MARC Marc or MARC may refer to:
People
* Marc (given name), people with the first name
* Marc (surname), people with the family name
Acronyms
* MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging,
* MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system o ...
announced in August 2015 that it was seeking $58 million to purchase eight locomotives to replace their aging electric powered
AEM-7
The EMD AEM-7 is a twin-cab four-axle B-B electric locomotive built by Electro-Motive Division (EMD) and ASEA between 1978 and 1988. The locomotive is a derivative of the Swedish SJ Rc4 designed for passenger service in the United States. The ...
units, with deliveries planned for late 2017. The purchase was approved by the
Maryland Board of Public Works
The Board of Public Works is a three-member body consisting of the Governor of Maryland, Governor, Comptroller of Maryland, Comptroller, and Treasurer of Maryland, Treasurer of the state of Maryland in the United States. It oversees many aspects o ...
on September 16, 2015. The MARC order uses part of the Amtrak state-corridor options.
The first MARC Charger was shipped from the Siemens factory in early December 2017, and began testing in mid-January 2018.
Metro-North Railroad (New York)
In December 2020, New York's
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area of the U.S. state of New York. The MTA is the largest public transit authority in th ...
approved a
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administration ...
-funded $335 million contract for 27 dual-mode locomotives based on the Charger design. The new locomotives will replace the 27 existing
GE Genesis
General Electric Genesis (officially trademarked GENESIS) is a series of passenger diesel locomotives produced by GE Transportation, then a subsidiary of General Electric. Between 1992 and 2001, a total of 321 units were built for Amtrak, Metro- ...
locomotives used on the
Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State public benefit corporations, public authority of the U.S. state of New Yor ...
's
Hudson Line,
Harlem Line
The Metro-North Railroad Harlem Line, originally chartered as the New York and Harlem Railroad, is an commuter rail line running north from New York City to Wassaic, in eastern Dutchess County. The lower from Grand Central Terminal to Southea ...
, and
Danbury Branch
The Danbury Branch is a diesel branch of the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line from downtown Norwalk, Connecticut north to Danbury, mostly single-tracked. It opened in 1852 as the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad. Until the early 1970s, passenger ...
; they will use
third rail
A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway t ...
electric power to enter
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...
. The first 19 locomotives are scheduled to be completed in mid-2026. The contract has options for 144 additional locomotives: 32 for Metro-North, 66 for the
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...
, 20 for the
New York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is the department of the New York state government responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in ...
(for Amtrak ''
Empire Service
The ''Empire Service'' is an Inter-city rail service operated by Amtrak within the state of New York in the United States. The brand name originated with the New York Central Railroad in 1967. Trains on the line provide frequent daily service ...
'' trains), and 25 for the
Connecticut Department of Transportation
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (often referred to as CTDOT and occasionally ConnDOT, or CDOT) is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports and waterways in Connecticut. ...
.
Ontario Northland
In December 2022, the
Government of Ontario
The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor†...
and
Ontario Northland
The Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), or simply Ontario Northland, is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario responsible for providing transportation services for passengers and goods in northern Ontario. It reports to ...
announced a investment to reinstate the ''
Northlander
The ''Northlander'' was a passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Ontario, Canada.
The ''Northlander'' operated six days per week year-round in both directions and connected Cochrane with Toronto. The train typically con ...
'' passenger service between
Timmins
Timmins ( ) is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the Mattagami River. The city is the fourth-largest city in the Northeastern Ontario region with a population of 41,145 (2021). The city's economy is based on natural resource ext ...
and
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. The government news release mentioned that the three new trainsets will be built by Siemens Mobility and paired wih Charger locomotives that will meet the latest EPA Tier 4 diesel emission standards.
Via Rail
![SC-42 -2200](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/SC-42_-2200.jpg)
In December 2018,
Via Rail
Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...
ordered 32 bi-directional trainsets each powered by one SC-44 locomotive for use on the
Québec City–Windsor Corridor. The first of VIA Rail's trainsets were delivered on September 29, 2021 to VIA Rail in Montreal, crossing into Canada via Sarnia, Ontario.
When the locomotives' final paint scheme was unveiled by VIA Rail in May 2021, the locomotive was designated as an SC-44,
but when delivered the locomotives' designation had been changed to SCV-42.
See also
*
EMD F125
The EMD F125 "Spirit" is a four-axle passenger diesel locomotive manufactured by Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) for the North American market since 2015. It is powered by a Caterpillar C175-20 V20 diesel engine rated at . The locomotive is capable ...
– competing Tier 4 passenger locomotive
*
MPI MPXpress
MPXpress is a series of diesel-electric passenger train locomotives designed for commuter rail service. The locomotives are built by MotivePower, a subsidiary of Wabtec. To date, MPI has offered five main variants: MP36PH-3S, MP36PH-3C, MP40PH- ...
MP54AC – competing Tier 4 passenger locomotive
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
''Raw Footage of Siemens Charger SC-44 4601 Cummins QSK95 Testing''(YouTube)
{{Green Locos
Siemens locomotives
Bo-Bo locomotives
Passenger locomotives
Diesel-electric locomotives of the United States
Railway locomotives introduced in 2014
EPA Tier 4-compliant locomotives of the United States
Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Diesel-electric locomotives of Canada