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Union Pacific orders ten Wabtec FLXDrive battery electric locomotives

Union Pacific, a North American railroad company, has announced the acquisition of ten FLXDrive battery electric locomotives from Wabtec. The source does not name the amount of the transaction, but notes that this is the largest single order for Wabtec FLXDrive electric locomotives and the largest investment of this kind in the history of the Union Pacific.

Union Pacific orders ten Wabtec FLXDrive battery electric locomotives

The Union Pacific Railroad is one of the oldest railroads in North America, founded in 1862. It currently operates over 8,000 locomotives in 23 Western US states, including Illinois and Louisiana. The company considers trains to be the most environmentally friendly means of transporting goods and has recently made further commitments to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions. In December, it published its first comprehensive climate change action plan, which includes significant reductions in emissions. As part of this plan, UP aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

In turn, Wabtec is a manufacturer of locomotives and wagons with more than 150 years of history. Last June, Wabtec launched a pilot program in California with its FLXdrive battery electric locomotive. Since the commercialization of FLXDrive, it has already received four orders for this locomotive from railways, including the Canadian National Railway and Rio Tinto in Australia. The Union Pacific order is the fifth.

The FLXdrive battery electric locomotive is equipped with a lithium-ion battery with approximately 20,000 cells. Battery capacity – 2.4 MWh. One charge is enough to provide a full traction power of 4400 hp. within 30-40 minutes. The battery is recharged when braking. The maximum mass of the electric locomotive is approximately 195 tons. It can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h. Four of the six axles are leading.

To begin with, Union Pacific plans to use FLXDrive electric locomotives to modernize the infrastructure of rail stations, unlike previous customers who are going to use Wabtec FLXDrive locomotives for mainline transportation.

According to a press release, ten FLXdrive electric locomotives will help Union Pacific reduce its annual carbon emissions by 4,000 tonnes.

FLXdrive electric locomotives are made in the USA. Union Pacific is expected to receive the first of them at the end of 2023.

Source: ixbt

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