Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has introduced the new Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotives, which entered commercial operation on July 11.
“SEPTA’s Regional Rail Ridership has grown by more than 50 percent over the last 15 years. The addition of these new Siemens ACS-64 locomotives is critical for SEPTA to expand capacity and meet the needs of our riders,” SEPTA General Manager, Jeffrey Knueppel, said.
The ACS-64 electric locomotive is equipped with a FastBrake New York Air Brake System and electronically controlled pneumatic brake system that is suited for push-pull operation without turning. With a wide-body, double-cab design, the locomotive also features an integrated crash energy management system, is equipped with regenerative braking and an onboard advanced civil speed enforcement system control unit including train radio, automatic train control and positive train control.
For the construction of these locomotives, Ben-Tech provided the handrails and couplers came from York based Voith Turbo. The Miller Welding and Machine Company in Jefferson County provided fabricated metal components. O-R-X Railway Corporation in Blair County performed the wheel-set pressing.
SEPTA is purchasing a total of 15 ACS-64 electric locomotives from Siemens, built at Siemens’ Sacramento, California rail manufacturing hub. They will allow SEPTA to expand its fleet while replacing 8 aging locomotives, including the last remaining AEM-7 locomotives still running in the country. As part of an ongoing effort to increase capacity, the Siemens locomotives will be in service with SEPTA’s existing rail coach cars and eventually will be paired with a new fleet of multi-level coaches that have been ordered from CRRC MA Corp.
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