UP shows off green trains in Los Angeles
Union Pacific Railroad showed off five lower-emission trains Wednesday at their massive Intermodal Container Transfer Facility in Long Beach, giving invited industry and business leaders a view of cutting edge 'green' locomotive technology.
Among the fleet on display were “smart” switcher locomotives used for short-haul operations and low-emission long-haul trains built by General Electric. The Omaha, Neb.-based railroad claims that the long-haul trains cut emissions up to 80 percent and conserve up to 10,000 gallons of fuel annually.
UP has also developed a diesel-electric hybrid, versions of which are being tested in Northern California.
The railroad is replacing the older diesel locomotives in its 225-vehicle Los Angeles-area fleet with newer, less polluting models to head off criticism from environmentalists, regulators and residents for spewing toxic smoke into the region's already contaminated air.
Also on display was the firm's Genset 'smart' switcher, one of 60 cleaner burning yard engines that UP will be deploying in Los Angeles by September. UP tests show the system reduces nitrous oxides and diesel particulate matter by 80 percent while using about 15 percent less fuel.
The new equipment is part of UP's $5 billion purchase of new locomotives in recent years.