Question about Amtrak locomotive emission strategy

[MIrailfan]

Is Amtrak transitioning to cleaner burning locomotives?

Are the Chargers part of the plan? Clean locomotives would be a great way to promote rail travel.

 

[MARC Rider]

Amtrak has no choice but to switch to cleaner locomotives. At least, if they buy new locos. I belive all of the Chargers meet the current EPA tier IV requirements.

 

[MIrailfan]

True. They seem much cleaner than their predecessors

 

[PatchesC]

Is Amtrak transitioning to cleaner burning locomotives?

Are the Chargers part of the plan? Clean locomotives would be a great way to promote rail travel.

Yes they are cleaner, they tested renewable diesel impacts on the Tier 4 in 2022 as well. Took a minute to find the public release.

https://www.cummins.com/news/releases/2022/09/20/cummins-qsk95-engine-proven-fully-compatible-renewable-diesel

 

[JamesWhitcombRiley]

Yes they are cleaner, they tested renewable diesel impacts on the Tier 4 in 2022 as well. Took a minute to find the public release.

https://www.cummins.com/news/releases/2022/09/20/cummins-qsk95-engine-proven-fully-compatible-renewable-diesel

They use less fuel and oil too. That's as important as "renewable" since unless something's changed the fuel is B20, which is 80% to 94% diesel. Brightline buys that blend from Florida Power & Light, which calls it EarthEra. The B20 standard is described here by the US Dept. of Energy: Alternative Fuels Data Center: Biodiesel Blends. There are other distinctions, like sulfur.

 

[rs9]

Take it with a grain of salt, but Siemens cites 16% increased fuel efficiency from Tier 0 locomotives.

https://preview.thenewsmarket.com/Previews/SIMS/DocumentAssets/482834.pdf

 

[GDRRiley]

Is Amtrak transitioning to cleaner burning locomotives?

Are the Chargers part of the plan? Clean locomotives would be a great way to promote rail travel.

yes. The chargers are meeting T4 vs T0 or T0+ like the P42. the F59phi are also gone which were T0 although they had an easy path to T3.

They use less fuel and oil too. That's as important as "renewable" since unless something's changed the fuel is B20, which is 80% to 94% diesel. Brightline buys that blend from Florida Power & Light, which calls it EarthEra. The B20 standard is described here by the US Dept. of Energy: Alternative Fuels Data Center: Biodiesel Blends. There are other distinctions, like sulfur.

This is not blended diesel with renewable but pure renewable. B20 has been cleared for a long time

 

[Tlcooper93]

In general, I’m not sure promoting clean locomotives is somehow better framing rail travel as cleaner.
At least more so than it already is.

The general public is well aware that trains are cleaner - the ones who care about that already take the train if they are so able, albeit probably very little. The ones who don’t care about clean travel would be better off convinced through a different reason.