Siemens Mobility was awarded an approximate $846 million contract to design and manufacture 75 Charger diesel-electric locomotives for Amtrak. The 75 locomotives will replace and supplement Amtrak’s aging national network diesel locomotive fleet used on long-distance and state-supported routes. It also includes a multi-year Technical Support Spares Supply Agreement (TSSSA).

Delivery of the new locomotives will begin in summer 2021, with passenger service starting in fall 2021. The locomotives will power trains used on lines that span the U.S., both from north-to-south and east-to-west. All locomotives are expected to be in service by 2024.

The Charger locomotive is one of the most popular passenger locomotives in North America today with more than 70 Chargers successfully transporting passengers throughout North America, traveling approximately three million miles per year. The locomotives offer the latest safety systems including crash energy management and U.S.-mandated Positive Train Control. Capable of speeds up to 125 miles per hour, the new locomotives feature the QSK95 Cummins 4,400 horsepower-capable 16-cylinder engine, which increases capacity and result in greater availability.

The Charger is lower-noise than the diesel engines it will be replacing and offers a streamlined design with smoother traction control. The quieter, smoother ride results in an improved experience for both operators and passengers.

The new locomotives are also more environmentally-responsible than their predecessors, providing the latest Tier 4 emissions technology, reducing nitrogen oxide by over 89% and particulate matter by 95%, compared to Tier 0 standard.

The locomotives are “Buy American-compliant,” and will be manufactured at Siemens Mobility’s North American rail manufacturing plant in Sacramento, California. The plant is powered by up to 80% renewable solar energy. The engines are manufactured by Cummins in its Seymour, Indiana plant.