Amtrak Spends $466 Million on Electric Locomotives

Amtrak Spends $466 Million on Electric Locomotives


By: Beth Buczynski
October 30, 2010

Transportation company's six-year contract with Siemens will create 250 jobs in California, Ohio and Georgia.

In an effort to modernize its fleet and provide improved performance and reliability for U.S. passengers in the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak has commissioned the German manufacturing giant, Siemens (NYSE: SI), to build 70 Cities Sprinter ACS-64 electric locomotives, the first of which will be operational in 2013.

According to Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman, the new locomotives will operate at speeds up to 125 mph (201 kph) on the Northeast Corridor from Washington, D.C. to Boston and up to 110 mph (177 kph) on the Keystone Corridor from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, Pa. They will replace locomotives in service between 20 and 30 years with an average mileage of 3.5 million miles traveled.

The Federal Railroad Administration applauded the decision, which it says supports the Department of Transportation’s strategy to use transportation to build strong, modern infrastructure, while also making cities more livable, protecting the environment and reducing dependence on foreign oil.

The ACS-64 locomotives will be capable of operating on 25 kV, 12.5 kV, and 12 kV power supplies and will feature regenerative braking systems that can automatically return electricity to the power grid. Additional features include crash energy management components like anti-climbing technology and push-back couplers designed to keep the train upright, inline and on the tracks in the event of a collision. Amtrak claims the design will also allow for easier maintenance leading to faster turn around times and increased availability.

The contract with Amtrak represents Siemens' latest attempt to take advantage of the $80 million in grants for high-speed rail projects provided to several U.S. states this year. Earlier this month, Florida announced that it would make transportation history as the first state to build a high-speed rail corridor, with Siemens Velaro ICE trains soon to connect Tampa to Orlando and then Miami in a second phase.

Siemens will manufacture the locomotives primarily at the Siemens Mobility plant in Sacramento, California, creating 200 new jobs for that facility alone.