USA: Since 22 September, the first SC42-DM locomotives have begun hauling passenger coaches on New York’s Metro-North commuter rail network.
The new rolling stock will gradually replace the hybrid P32AC-DM locomotives built by General Electric in the 1990s. The P32AC-DM are reported to operate on electric power only along a 6.5km section of the line, whereas the new SC42-DM can draw power from the third rail across the entire Metro-North network, which extends over 160 km.
On other sections of the route, the SC42-DM operate using their diesel engine, which has an output of 3.1 MW and meets the Tier 4 emissions standard. The maximum speed is 177 km/h in diesel mode and 128 km/h when operating on third-rail power.
In 2021 and 2023, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) ordered 33 SC42-DM locomotives from Siemens Mobility under contracts worth a total of $414 mln. Deliveries from the company’s Sacramento plant are scheduled for completion by 2027.
