Cummins Inc. will power the rail industry forward to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 emissions regulations with over 100 installations on order for passenger locomotives, diesel multiple unit (DMU) railcars and switcher locomotives in North America. The Cummins Tier 4 installations will bring to the track ultra-clean diesel power with quieter operation and a lower carbon footprint.
The Tier 4 rail vehicles on order extend from 1200 hp (895 kW) up to 5400 hp (4027 kW) of installed power, featuring the latest generation of Cummins 15-liter to 95-liter engines with integrated Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust aftertreatment. The installations include both single- and innovative multi-engine designs with a power-on-demand capability to significantly reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
The EPA Tier 4 regulations take effect Jan. 1, 2015, for line-haul locomotives, with particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions reduced by over 70 percent compared with the current Tier 3 regulations. For Tier 4-compliant railcars, PM and NOx emissions levels are reduced by over 90 percent compared with Tier 3.
The Tier 4 installation orders were awarded to Cummins following an in-depth competitive evaluation by both rail vehicle manufacturers and rail operators. Cummins Tier 4 technology scored highly over medium-speed and other high-speed engines in terms of installation ease and lower operating costs while meeting vehicle targets for high speed, rapid acceleration and extended life-to-overhaul.
"With over 100 Tier 4 locomotive, switcher and railcar installations already on order, this means that Cummins will power almost every Tier 4 passenger rail project underway in North America, and we have hundreds of additional installation options under consideration," said Randy Nelson, manager - Cummins Rail Business Development.
"This early Tier 4 success clearly demonstrates that our customers recognize that we have the right technology to meet their installation, operational and economic requirements - adding up to a very attractive package for both new vehicles and repowers," added Nelson.
The first Tier 4 ultra-low emissions demonstration project with Cummins power has been up and running since 2013, with the NREX 2015 genset switcher built by National Railway Equipment Co. The switcher features twin-QSX15 engines providing 1200 hp (895 kW) of installed power. A freight locomotive repower project with the QSK95 is currently underway, with a power output of 4200 hp (3132 kW). The Cummins CMX 1919 locomotive will operate on commercial service with Indiana Rail Road Co.
The first all-new Tier 4 vehicle is scheduled to enter revenue service in January 2015 for the air-rail link currently under construction from downtown Toronto to Toronto Pearson International Airport, connecting the two busiest transportation hubs in Canada with a fleet of 18 railcars built by Nippon Sharyo U.S.A. The DMU has a three-car, three-engine configuration with an underfloor QSK19 installation totaling 2280 hp (1700 kW) output.
A similar fleet of railcars will also be delivered to Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) north of San Francisco Bay, running on a new line currently under construction. The SMART project and the Toronto air-rail link will bring the first modern DMU configurations to North America.
The introduction of the Charger passenger locomotive in 2016 will mark the arrival of Siemens into the North American diesel-electric locomotive market with an initial 35 locomotives on order for operation in five of the United States. The new Charger is powered by a Cummins 4400 hp (3281 kW)-rated Tier 4 QSK95 and is capable of a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/hr).
A fleet of MP40 commuter locomotives will be repowered by MotivePower Inc. for GO Transit in Toronto to meet Tier 4 emissions regulations with a highly innovative twin-engine Cummins QSK60 installation totaling 5400 hp (4027 kW).
