BNSF Railway and Wabtec start battery-electric locomotive pilot in California
BNSF Railway and Wabtec, a supplier of apparatus, programs and providers for freight and transit rail, have collaborated to develop a battery-electric locomotive. Now they’ve begun testing the expertise in income service between Barstow and Stockton, California.
The battery-powered locomotive might be located in a consist [a sequence of locomotives and/or cars] between two Tier four locomotives, making a hybrid consist. When working on the mainline, each the battery-electric and diesel locomotives will energy the practice.
The battery-electric locomotive is anticipated to enhance the gas financial system for your complete consist by a minimum of 10 %. The pilot check will run from January till the top of March, and if it proves profitable, BNSF will develop testing to different areas and working circumstances on its system.
BNSF partnered with Wabtec on the event of the battery-electric locomotive, which options an general energy-management system, together with onboard power storage and system-optimization controls designed to enhance consist and practice efficiency.
“The FLXdrive is the world’s first 100-percent, heavy-haul battery-electric locomotive that optimizes the entire power utilization of your complete locomotive consist,” stated Alan Hamilton, Wabtec VP, Engineering. “This expertise works in a fashion similar to how electrical automobiles use regenerative braking.”
“We’ve received all the things in place and we’re able to see how this next-generation locomotive performs in income service,” stated John Lovenburg, BNSF VP, Environmental. “BNSF is targeted on persevering with to scale back our environmental impression, and we’re dedicated to doing our half to check and assess the business viability of rising applied sciences that scale back emissions.”
Supply: BNSF
