Union Pacific Railroad, a company operating in 23 western states, recently accepted the delivery of two battery-electric locomotives built by Pennsylvania-based Wabtec. Delivery was accepted in Southern California.
The locomotives are the first of four FLXdrive battery-electric units ordered and are part of the Union Pacific’s ongoing investments in testing next-generation technologies in real-world operating environments. Two more locomotives will be delivered in October, and all four will operate in the greater Los Angeles area.
The FLXdrive is powered by approximately 7,000 battery cells and provides approximately 2.7 megawatt-hours of energy storage while producing no tailpipe emissions during operation.
Union Pacific will test the locomotives in a variety of railroad operations, such as switching and providing local customer service, and will gain valuable data on the technology’s performance, reliability and operational capabilities.
“Union Pacific has never been content to stand still,” Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said. “Our industry is constantly evolving, and if we’re not exploring what’s next, we risk being left behind. “Testing technologies like battery-electric locomotives help us to better understand what’s possible by putting these emerging technologies to work in actual railroad operations.”
The locomotives also are part of the company’s ongoing investment in modernizing operations, improving efficiency and advancing technologies that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.