USA: ROLLINGSTOCK has analysed the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) programme developed by the US Federal Railroad Administration for fiscal year 2023–2024. The programme includes 11 locomotive repower projects worth $151.3 mln.
The CRISI projects will make it possible to upgrade 60 old diesel locomotives with Tier 0 diesel engines with high emission levels, which are operated in various states. Ten of the locomotives will be scrapped as the implementation of the projects will improve the efficiency of the rest of the fleet.
The projects will result in 50 repowered locomotives, of which more than half (31) will retain diesel traction but will meet the much higher Tier 4 environmental standard. These vehicles will have improved overall efficiency, be more environmentally friendly and have additional gas purification and filtration systems installed. 18 locomotives will be fitted with batteries and only one locomotive will be converted to hydrogen.
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In the last fiscal year, California was the state that submitted the most projects, four out of 11. This is not surprising, as the state is widely known for its commitment to the green agenda. In 2023, for example, it passed a ban on the operation of non-zero emission locomotives after 2035. At the same time, 15 of the 25 locomotives to be repowered for California under the CRISI programme will be fitted with Tier 4 diesel engines.
This May, the Wall Street Journal published an article in which the US rail industry expressed doubts about the effectiveness of green traction. Jim Vena, CEO of Union Pacific, said that the rail industry should take a closer look at the carbon footprint created by the expanding infrastructure of alternatives to diesel as it could lead to even higher emissions.
