A multi-system locomotive, also known as a multi-system electric locomotive, multi-system electric multiple unit, or multi-system train, is an
electric locomotive which can operate using more than one
railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electric power to railway trains and trams without an on-board prime mover or local fuel supply.
Electric railways use either electric locomotives (hauling passengers or freight in separate cars), ele ...
. Multi-system trains provide continuous journeys over routes which are electrified using more than one system.
Reasons
A multi-system locomotive is useful for providing a single journey over multiple electrification systems without interruption, either from requiring passengers to change trains or from changing locomotives. Such conditions can occur where a train crosses national boundaries and each country has implemented a different electrification system.
Examples
European Union
Prior to 1945 there was no demand for multi-system locomotives in Europe. From the 1950s onwards, the emerging formation of the
European Union, and the consequent increase in the amount of cross border traffic, along with the addition of a
25 kV 50 Hz AC system in France in addition to the older 1.5 kV DC system, gave rise to the need for multi-voltage locomotives. Very high capital costs prevent or hinder the adoption of a standard railway electrification system.
At the beginning of the 21st century, railway legislation in Europe (the
First Railway Package
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
and
Second Railway Package, and the creation of a ''
Trans European Rail Freight Network'') liberalised cross border freight traffic, giving rise to a demand for locomotives that could work between
European Union countries with different electrification systems. That created a practically new market for multi-voltage locomotives, such as Bombardier's
TRAXX
Alstom Traxx (sold as Bombardier TRAXX before 2021) is a modular product platform of mainline diesel-electric and electric locomotives produced originally by Bombardier Transportation and later Alstom, which was built in both freight and passen ...
. However, the increase in the cost of locomotives and maintenance, along with the expense of installing different safety systems for cross-border work, reduced the economic viability of multi-system vehicles versus the use of single-voltage machines or changing locomotives where electrical systems change.
South Africa
South Africa has 15 km of dual system track, both 3 kV DC and 25 kV AC.
United Kingdom
Electrification in the UK began in a piecemeal fashion. The earliest main line (as opposed to metro and tramway) systems were divided between low voltage
third rail (commonly about 600 V DC) and overhead systems (a variety of voltages, both DC and AC were used). The third rail systems of this period eventually gave rise to the 750 V DC system in the southern part of the UK and a separate area with the same system around Merseyside.
Cheap loans to stimulate economic development in the 1930s gave rise to the several schemes of 1500 V DC electrification, mostly completed post war, notably between
Liverpool Street and Shenfield, and the
Woodhead Line. Starting with the
West Coast Main Line electrification in the 1960s, the 25 kV AC overhead system was adopted for all subsequent mainline electrification in the UK (except for extensions to other existing systems, mostly on the southern third rail network).
In some areas with restricted clearances, particularly in urban areas in east London (converted from 1500 V DC) and on suburban routes around Glasgow, 6.25 kV was used. A system known as "Automatic Power Control" was developed to allow trains to automatically switch between the voltages whilst moving. All the driver had to do was shut off power and coast until clear of the neutral section; the system automatically opened the circuit breaker, detected a change in voltage and switched over the transformer to the correct input voltage setting, then closed the circuit breaker. This system proved somewhat unreliable and, with experience, it was found that less clearance was needed for 25 kV than had initially been allowed for. This allowed the 6.25 kV sections to be converted to 25 kV, with the last section, at the London end of the London Tilbury and Southend line, being converted in 1983.
United States
In the
United States private companies undertook electrification independently, resulting in divergent systems. Thus the
New Haven EP-1 had to support three separate electrification systems: 660
V DC via
third rail, 660 V via
pantograph, and 11 kV 25 Hz AC via pantograph; in order to make a journey from the
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midw ...
's
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 terminu ...
in
New York City to its own station in
Stamford, Connecticut.
Multi-system operation continues to present day.
New Jersey Transit uses multi-system
ALP-46
The Bombardier ALP-46 is an electric locomotive built in Germany by Bombardier between 2001 and 2002 for use in the United States. It is derived from the German Class 101. New Jersey Transit (NJT) is the only railroad to operate this locomotive ...
and
ALP-45DP
The Bombardier ALP-45DP is a type of single cab dual-mode locomotive built by Bombardier Transportation (later Alstom) and operated by New Jersey Transit and Exo.
Operators
New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit (NJT) purchased 26 ALP-45DP ...
locomotives (and also future
Multilevel III Electric Multiple-Units) for its ''
Midtown Direct
The Kearny Connection is a railroad junction in Kearny, New Jersey that allows passenger trains from New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines to enter Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) and travel to and from New York Penn Station. The juncti ...
'' service into
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* ...
and
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...
uses the multi-system
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 Sieme ...
locomotives and
Acela
The ''Acela'' ( ; originally the ''Acela Express'' until September 2019) is Amtrak's flagship service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the Northeastern United States between Washington, D.C. and Boston via 13 intermediate stops, includin ...
trainsets on the Northeast Corridor between
Washington DC and
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...
. In both cases, trains run on both newer, 25 kV 60 Hz built or refurbished by their respective agencies since the 1980s and older, 12 kV 25 Hz inherited from the now-defunct
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...
. The latter dates to the 1930s, when the Pennsylvania upgraded its electrified network from 650
V DC third rail.
Metro-North Railroad utilizes
M8 electric multiple units on its
New Haven Line, which are capable of using 750V DC Third Rail, 12.5 kV 60 Hz and 25 kV 60 Hz overhead electrification. Third rail electrification persists between Grand Central Terminal and
Mount Vernon East, while overhead electrification exists from
Pelham to
New Haven. While traveling between Mount Vernon East and Pelham, trains switch between the third rail and overhead electrification systems without stopping. East of New Haven, M8s operating on
Shore Line East
Shore Line East (SLE) is a commuter rail service which operates along the Northeast Corridor through southern Connecticut, United States. The rail service is a fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and ...
make use of the 25 kV 60 Hz overhead electrification present.
See also
*
Dual electrification
*
Multi-system units
References
External links
*
{{Railway electrification
Electric rail transport
Electric locomotives