Union Pacific, EMD to test emission-controlled locomotives in California

14 August 2012

Union Pacific Railroad announced an investment of $20 million to test a series of 25 experimental locomotives equipped with emission technologies that are being developed for US Tier 4 (2015) applications. The locomotives will be supplied by Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD). The experimental locomotives—intermediate line-haul units with an operating range of approximately 200 miles—will be used exclusively in California.

One locomotive in this series will be based in Roseville to test the combined use of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), diesel oxidation catalyst, and a diesel particulate filter. This locomotive is the closest an EMD locomotive has come to achieving Tier 4 emission standards, said Union Pacific. Union Pacific and the California Air Resources Board (ARB) will jointly analyze emissions from this locomotive over the next 18 months.

Nine of the experimental units are fitted with the EGR technology. These locomotives, based in the Colton area, will be tested through operations in the southern California region.

The remaining 15 experimental units will work out of Roseville for operations in northern California. These locomotives have “the capability to be retrofitted with EGR and other emissions reduction technologies” as testing progresses. The California Proposition 1B—Goods Movement Emission Reduction Program is partially funding this set of locomotives.

Testing on all 25 locomotives is scheduled to last through 2014.

Source: Union Pacific