(The following story by Brendan M. Case appeared on The Dallas Morning News website on December 13.)
DALLAS, Texas — Union Pacific Corp. has rolled out 98 ultra-low-emission locomotives in Texas, largely paid for by the state’s taxpayers. Officials said Wednesday that the benefits to Texas air quality would be even larger than they bargained for.
Union Pacific began operating the first of the new locomotives last year but received the full fleet only recently. The railroad has 46 of the locomotives in D-FW, 43 in Houston, and nine in San Antonio. The locomotives, which move rail cars around railyards, can turn multiple diesel engines on and off depending on the load they’re hauling.
Union Pacific received a $75 million grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to purchase the locomotives. The grant covered roughly 75 percent of their cost.
“Union Pacific has made a major investment in partnering with the state of Texas, doing their part to improve the air quality in the D-FW area,” said Buddy Garcia, commission chairman, before taking a tour Wednesday of two yellow and red locomotives parked at Dallas’ Union Station.
Union Pacific places a value of $118 million on the emissions the new locomotives will eliminate over the 10-year agreement with the state. That’s 57 percent more than the amount of the state’s grant.
Compared with the older engines being replaced, Union Pacific’s new ones cut emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter 54 percent to 63 percent, while using about 30 percent less fuel, the railroad company said.
Diesel locomotives emit about 26 tons per day of smog-causing nitrogen oxides in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, just under 7 percent of the region’s total “Nox” emissions, according to the TCEQ.
Off-road mobile equipment – locomotives, construction equipment, forklifts and the like – account for 27 percent of local emissions. On-road vehicles such as cars, trucks and buses emit 47 percent. Industries are responsible for 15 percent, with 11 percent coming from other sources.
Known as “generator-set” locomotives, Union Pacific’s new Texas locomotives are manufactured by Montreal-based RailPower Technologies Corp. and have a total of 2,000 horsepower.
Fort Worth-based Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., the No. 2 U.S. railroad, said it is also investing in cleaner locomotives. BNSF has 55 of the “generator-set” locomotives, and 42 of them in Texas, said spokesman Patrick Hiatte.
BNSF has reduced its locomotive fleet’s average nitrogen oxide emissions by 30 percent since 2000 by buying new locomotives, retrofitting old ones and taking other steps, Mr. Hiatte said.