Part of the money, $14 million, is coming from funds that Illinois is receiving as part of the $2 billion legal settlement between the U.S. and Volkswagen over diesel emissions cheating. The rest of the money will come from Regional Transportation Authority bond funds, according to Lynette Ciavarella, Metra’s senior planning director.
Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said Wednesday that the new locomotives will be the agency’s first units to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 4 emissions standards. The remanufactured units will be Metra’s first Tier 3s.
The Tier 4 locomotives will need more fuel tanks and equipment, Derwinski said. The cleaner locomotives burn the same diesel fuel as other units but require a special additive.
Because of this extra equipment, the new locomotives would likely all be assigned to Metra’s Rock Island line, between La Salle Street Station and Joliet, Ill., Derwinski said.
Derwinski said there are currently three manufacturers of Tier 4 locomotives. There was no date set for issuance of a request for bids.
The remanufactured Tier 3 locomotives will be purchased from Progress Rail. Metra’s contract includes options to buy up to 27 additional locomotives, if funding is available.
Metra said Progress Rail will take existing EMD SD70MAC freight locomotives and upgrade and configure them for passenger use. All components will either be refurbished, upgraded, or new. The newly remanufactured locomotives will be designated as SD70MACH locomotives.
Metra said replacing 42 of its current locomotives that are rated Tier 0+ with 42 Tier 3 locomotives will eliminate 61 tons of nitrous oxide emissions annually — the equivalent to taking 6,600 cars off the road.
i heard they were supposed to get SC44Chargers
Thank God that EMD is getting the action & not that other business that has a monopoly in the locomotive business
Correction to above story: The new locomotives will likely be assigned to Metra’s BNSF line, not the Rock Island line, according to Metra.
Whatever, I know that the F125s are getting better, and not what gossipers say they are, plus the bulk of the F125 order for Metrolink will be ready to go. Plus even the Siemens Chargers are having minor problems lately causing them to be towed by a freight locomotive into Union Station and it’s Not like that with the F125s (only being delivered to LA they are being towed by a Freight diesel).
Plus Motive Power Industries also has just 1 agency buying there Tier 4s as well Toronto GO Transit respectively and not all MPI Tier 4s have been delivered to GO Transit yet either.
Some things take Time.
August,
Delivered sooner is only better if the bugs are out and the units can be put in service after they arrive.
Metrolink in California learned that the hard way.
Metra should have continued to stick with Remanufactured Locomotives as they are cheaper and the Tier 4 locomotives are expensive and are still having problems.
It’s NOT all about Siemens.
Metra should this time choose either Motive Power Industries or Progress Rail, since their Tier 4s have more horsepower and can be delivered sooner.
Bradley, no it’s a two-step process. First paint on Tom Selleck’s mustache. Then dye it black.
Too bad they couldn’t think of an “O” word to add to the “MACH” designation. Then we would have the SD-70-MACHO. Maybe paint a Tom Selleck mustache on the nose…