New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has given the green light to Wabtec’s R255 dual locomotives for maintenance operations on its underground network.
This decision is part of the plan to improve the efficiency of the system while reducing GHG and noise emissions, as these locomotives will use electricity from batteries to propel them through the tunnels.
The R255 locomotives, capable of operating for up to eight hours in battery-only mode, were ordered in 2020 to modernise the maintenance fleet. They will replace the R37, R41, R43, R47, R52 and R77 series, manufactured between 1966 and 1977.
Manufactured in Pennsylvania, the first units were delivered in May and June 2024 and subsequently underwent rigorous testing in the New York underground. Alan Hamilton, Wabtec’s vice president of engineering, noted that these locomotives will enable the MTA to improve underground operations, replacing an ageing fleet and improving reliability.
They will also contribute to a cleaner metro system and a reduction in fuel consumption.
The new locomotives are equipped with external and internal cameras, a digital video recorder and on-board monitoring and diagnostic systems to facilitate preventive maintenance of the fleet.
