Amtrak announced it had ordered 75 new locomotives in December 2018. Siemens Mobility will deliver these through 2024. The initial agreement also includes an option for Amtrak to purchase further ALC-42 locomotives.

Compared to the SC-44 locomotives that Amtrak also operates, the ALC-42 has a bigger fuel tank for longer routes. It also has increased head end power, meaning it can haul longer trains. Thanks to a number of other improvements, this locomotive will have lower maintenance intervals compared to the existing fleet.

The ALC-42 locomotives are being manufactured in Sacramento, California. They will largely replace P40 and P42 diesel-electric locomotives. The P-series locomotives were purchased in the 1990s and have spend more than a quarter of a century in operation. They do not have up-to-date technology and they do not achieve Tier 4 emissions standards.

In order to fulfil Amtrak’s ‘Buy American’ provision, Siemens Mobility uses suppliers across the US. These include Cummins, which manufactures its diesel engines in Seymour, Indiana.

These locomotives merely part of Amtrak’s long-term improvements plan for rolling stock, infrastructure and stations. Other elements include new Acela trains, which are currently in the testing phase and which will enter passenger operations in 2021. New York Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall are being upgraded, while major stations in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and Chicago are also undergoing expanded development.

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source= https://railway-news.com/amtrak-reveals-renderings-of-new-siemens-locomotives/