The first of 70 advanced technology locomotives built for use on the Amtrak rails in the Northeast rolled off the assembly line today.
The locomotives, which are assembled in Siemens' Sacramento, Calif. manufacturing plant, will be field tested this summer and could enter service as early as this fall.
The Amtrak Cities Sprinter (ACS-64) locomotives are part of a $466 million order made by Amtrak, which is replacing its aging locomotives and passenger rail cars in accordance with its Fleet Strategy Plan.
"The new Amtrak locomotives will help power the economic future of the Northeast region, provide more reliable and efficient service for passengers and support the rebirth of rail manufacturing in America," said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman.
The locomotives, which use a regenerative braking system, will replace electric locomotives that have between 25 and 35 years of service and more than 3.5 million miles traveled.
The first three Amtrak Cities Sprinters will be tested this summer – two at a U.S. Department of Transportation facility in Pueblo, Colo., and one on the Northeast Corridor. Once commissioned, the locomotives will be delivered monthly through 2016.
Parts for the locomotives are being built at Siemens’ plants in Norwood, Ohio, Alpharetta, Ga., and Richland, Miss., and at nearly 70 suppliers in 23 states.
"More and more Americans are parking their cars and choosing the comfort and convenience of trains, metros and streetcars as their preferred way of traveling, " said Michael Cahill, president of Siemens Rail Systems division in the U.S. "From downtown streetcar systems to regional, passenger rail lines, Siemens' transportation solutions like the next-generation Amtrak locomotives enhance safety, boost efficiency and performance, and are built in America leveraging Siemens' U.S. manufacturing hubs and supply chain."
The new locomotives will be used on Northeast Regional trains on the Northeast Corridor along the Washington to New York to Boston route and on Keystone Service trains on the Keystone Corridor from Philadelphia, Pa. to Harrisburg, Pa., traveling up to 125 mph and 110 mph, respectively.
