USA: Siemens Mobility is to supply 13 Charger B+AC battery-electric locomotives for New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad commuter services.
The manufacturer said the Charger B+AC locomotives would be a ‘state-of-the-art iteration’ of the Charger design with more than 400 locos sold so far. Instead of a diesel engine, the Metro-North locos will have a modular battery and pantograph system, enabling them to use overhead electrification on the New Haven Line and battery power in and around New York’s Penn Station once the operator starts serving the station under the Penn Access project. The push-pull locos will have a maximum speed of 200 km/h using overhead power and a range of up to 160 km on battery power.
Charging options include catenary or plug-in, with the use of regenerative braking providing up to 30% of the energy used during acceleration.
‘We are thrilled to bring these cutting-edge passenger locomotives to North America for the first time’, said Marc Buncher, President & CEO of Siemens Mobility North America, on June 27. ‘These American-made locomotives will help to reinvent rail travel, offering more reliable travel for millions of commuters each year.’
The manufacturer said the design is ‘ideal for operators who either already have, or plan to have, partial electrification’, which is ‘much faster and more economical to achieve than complete electrification, particularly in congested urban areas’. Similar locos could be ordered without the overhead power option, providing room for additional battery packs to give a longer range.
The order has been placed using an option on an existing order for 33 electro-diesel locomotives for Metro-North that will be able to use diesel or third-rail power.
