Metra will receive a USD 169.3 million federal funding through Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) to acquire battery trains for Chicago commuter rail network.
The rail operator has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for battery-powered trainsets in September 2022 and is currently reviewing proposals it received in response.
“We think zero-emission trainsets could be an exciting and positive addition to Metra’s fleet for a variety of reasons. Beyond the environmental and noise reduction benefits, they also offer savings in energy consumption as well as better efficiency, flexibility, and reliability. Along with our other initiatives, they would continue to make Metra a responsible and effective leader in green energy technology,” Metra CEO Jim Derwinski said.
CMAQ funding will support the purchase of up to 16 battery trains for Chicago rail system, adding a new type of propulsion to Metra’s fleet that could accelerate and brake faster than its traditional trains.
The lower-capacity trainsets could be a more economical and environmentally friendly way to provide the same level of service or better, particularly during off-peak times, and could play a significant role in helping Metra achieve its vision to provide more frequent all-day service – so-called regional rail service.
Buying the trainsets would allow Metra to replace the older fleet, most polluting diesel locomotives, which are well beyond their useful life, and eliminate tonnes of carbon emissions. It would also allow Metra to retire some of its oldest railcars.
Metra likely would introduce the trainsets on its Rock Island Line. That would directly benefit the air quality in several economically disadvantaged neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago and in the south suburbs.
In August 2022, Metra approved the conversion of up to six oldest diesel locomotives to zero-emission battery power. A contract was signed with Progress Rail for a base order of three locomotives with options for three additional units. The total cost for all six locomotive conversions, which will be performed in Patterson, Georgia, is USD 34.6 million. The project is expected to be completed in 2025.
To renew its rolling stock, in 2021 Metra and Alstom signed a EUR 650 million contract for 200 push-pull railcars with an option for 300 additional cars.
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