Amtrak this week unveiled new locomotives for much of its Midwest service, including the Hiawatha line between Chicago and Milwaukee.
Amtrak purchased 33 Siemens Charger locomotives, which were manufactured in Sacramento, California, with $216.5 million in federal funds. The new locomotives are now pulling the trains on the Hiawatha route. The first new Amtrak Midwest locomotive was unveiled at a news conference Wednesday at Chicago Union Station.
The new high tech locomotives reduce fuel use by 16 percent and reduce emissions by 90 percent when compared to older locomotives, can operate at speeds up to 125 mph, feature faster and smoother acceleration and breaking, according to Amtrak. The locomotives are powered by a 4,400 horsepower Cummins QSK95 diesel engine.
“We look forward to the improved efficiency and reliability that the Siemens Charger locomotives bring to intercity passenger rail services across the Midwest,” said David Simon, director of the Bureau of Transit, Local Roads, Railroads, and Harbors at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
