MBTA is negotiating with UTA to determine the exact number to be purchased or leased. Built in compliance with MBTA requirements, the new locomotives are 'Commuter Rail-ready,' and will be in passenger service by this fall.
The engines are 3600 horse power, diesel electric locomotives. The purchase cost for each locomotive is $3.5 million, 80% to be funded by federal grants.
The operational benefits of adding these new locomotives to the T's fleet are immediate:
• Improved reliability and on-time performance
• More fuel efficient
• Decreased emissions
Compared to the locomotives in the current fleet, the new engines burn less fuel and emit lower levels of nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons. It's estimated the T will save about $78,000 annually per locomotive because the new engines burn 36,500 fewer gallons of fuel each year. Employing new technology that makes the engines more fuel efficient and prevents unnecessary idling, the new locomotives reduce nitrogen oxide levels by 38 ½ tons per engine annually.
That's great! The older generation of diesel locomotives in this country waste a huge amount of fuel while idling, and have basically no emission control system. These MPXpress locomotives will do a lot to reduce the environmental footprint of the commuter rail.
Long-term, it would be nice if the T bought self-propelled DMUs, which have even better acceleration, lower noise and fuel consumption, and can be operated by a single employee. These low-operating-cost trains have allowed transit operators in Europe to reactive low-traffic branch lines at a very low cost, and would allow the T to increase commuter rail service to transit-type frequencies.
Posted by: boblothrope | June 16, 2010 at 03:21 PM
Great news getting new locomtives.
Posted by: Ben | June 07, 2010 at 08:30 PM
Glad to see the State is on "track" towards reducing the use of expensive and environmentaly harmful fuels.
-Jerry V.
Posted by: Jerry Vega | June 07, 2010 at 12:20 PM