Almost 90% cleaner than the locomotives they replaced, the Charger locomotives allow the Pacific Surfliner service to meet growing demand for ridership while providing quieter, more efficient passenger rail service.
Amtrak
1 min to read
Almost 90% cleaner than the locomotives they replaced, the Charger locomotives allow the Pacific Surfliner service to meet growing demand for ridership while providing quieter, more efficient passenger rail service.
Amtrak
A total of 14 new Siemens Charger locomotives are now operational on Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner route, which carries nearly three million passengers a year to top destinations from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. The locomotives were originally unveiled by the Los Angeles — San Diego — San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in October 2018.
The new Charger locomotive is the first passenger locomotive to receive the stringent Tier IV emissions certification from the Environmental Protection Agency, making it one of the cleanest diesel-electric passenger locomotives in operation today. The state-of-the-art locomotive, manufactured at Siemens’ solar-powered plant in Sacramento, California, now powers the majority of 24 daily Pacific Surfliner trains traveling through Southern California.
Almost 90% cleaner than the locomotives they replaced, the Charger locomotives allow the Pacific Surfliner service to meet growing demand for ridership while providing quieter, more efficient passenger rail service that helps relieve congestion on adjacent freeways like Interstate 5 and U.S. 101.
Siemens built the Charger locomotives for transportation agencies across the U.S. as part of a multi-state procurement project. The 14 Charger locomotives used on Pacific Surfliner service were funded by Caltrans with approximately $100 million in state, federal, and local funds, and replaced Amtrak-owned locomotives which were nearly 20 years old.
Operation Lifesaver awarded $220,200 in grants to 12 states to support rail safety campaigns focused on grade crossing awareness and trespass prevention.
The survey showed that commute trips still make up the majority of ridership, with most riders boarding 2 to 3 days a week, reflecting hybrid work schedules. Two-thirds of Caltrain riders have access to a car, while 37% of Caltrain riders are considered low-income.
Advances in data and analytics are giving transit agencies new opportunities to refine maintenance practices, improve efficiency and make more informed decisions about asset performance.
In this Consultant Roundtable, Carmen C. Cham shares insights on how agencies can create spaces that are intuitive, connected and built for long-term impact.
The Red Line Extension Project will provide the Far South Side of Chicago with rapid rail transit for the first time by extending the Red Line by 5.5 miles from 95th Street to 130th Street, including the construction of four new Red Line stations at 103rd, 111th, Michigan, and 130th streets.
The Siemens CBTC System, Trainguard MT, in compliance with New York Subway Interoperability Interface Specifications, enables trains to run as close as 90 seconds apart, using next-generation signaling and continuous communication to keep operations moving seamlessly.
While recognizing regional economic constraints and continuing to improve service, the budget increases the jurisdictional subsidy to less than 1.8%, significantly below the inflation rate and the 3% regional target, said agency officials.
With more than 59,400,000 boardings since the service’s debut, the A Line’s utilization surpassed that of all other RTD rail services in 2025, the agency reported.
The plan outlines funding for transit operations, capital projects, and freight and passenger rail initiatives, as state officials seek public input on priorities shaping mobility and infrastructure across the Commonwealth.
