Amtrak to purchase 75 Tier 4 locomotives from Siemens Mobility in effort to replace aging fleet

January 14, 2019 / Updated June 26, 2023

Amtrak will acquire new mainline passenger diesel locomotives from Siemens Mobility to replace its aging National Network locomotive fleet.

Seventy-five Charger locomotives are being built for Amtrak’s Long Distance train service as part of an $850 million order that includes options to purchase more to accommodate use on some state-supported routes and future growth.

An artist’s rendering of the Siemens Mobility Charger locomotive that Amtrak has ordered to replace its aging fleet of P40 and P42 diesels. – *Courtesy Siemens Mobility*

“These new locomotives will offer increased reliability, more hauling power, improved safety features and lower emissions,” said Amtrak President & CEO Richard Anderson in December.

The locomotives will offer the latest safety systems including Crash Energy Management and Positive Train Control. Capable of speeds up to 125 mph, the locomotives will be powered by a 16-cylinder Cummins QSK95 diesel engine capable of 4,000 horse power with modern control systems and Alternating Current (AC) propulsion. The diesel engine will come equipped with the latest Tier 4 emissions technology, reducing nitrogen oxide by over 89 percent and particulate matter by 95 percent, and provide an average of 10 percent savings in diesel fuel consumption.

Delivery will begin in summer 2021, with passenger service beginning in fall 2021. The locomotives will power trains used on the Auto Train, California Zephyr, Capitol Limited, Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Coast Starlight, Crescent, Empire Builder, Lake Shore Limited, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle. All locomotives are expected to be in service by 2024. Maintenance activities across the network will be supported by a supplemental multiyear Technical Support Spares Supply Agreement (TSSSA).

The locomotives will be built at Siemens Mobility’s rail manufacturing plant in Sacramento, CA, a facility which uses solar power and employs more than 1,300 people. Available funding will pay for the new additions.

Siemens Mobility’s Charger locomotives are currently operating on several state-supported Amtrak routes in California, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Michigan, and Washington.

Amtrak’s aging Amtrak P40 and P42 locomotives, some of which have been in service for more than 25 years, will be phased out.

The new locomotives are part of Amtrak’s long-term plans for improving fleet, infrastructure and stations. New Acela trainsets arrive in 2021 and ongoing improvements continue at New York Penn Station and new construction at Moynihan Train Hall, in addition to expanded development of the major stations at Chicago, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Spring is when large-scale model railroaders with their green thumbs plant and prune colorful foliage grown nearly to scale. In some areas, maintaining outdoor layouts is quite challenging because of changing weather. Nancy Norris, an author who builds garden railroads professionally, says some plant varieties have become more difficult to grow in certain Hardiness Zones. In some cases it means garden railroaders having to put more emphasis on growing native plants rather than relying on varieties more susceptible to extreme conditions. She recommends new gardeners consult with their local nurseries for the best choices for an outdoor layout. Norris also has a few recommendations of her own.

Sweeping tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States are stirring model railroad manufacturers. As a result, model railroading and other hobbies will cost more. In February the U.S. applied a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China, and the tax has since escalated. Suppliers – including Athearn, InterMountain Railway Co., Broadway Limited, Rapido Trains and ScaleTrains – have been putting dealers and customers on notice that prices will increase tariffs are implemented.

The first rule of railroading is “expect movement on any track at any time in any direction.” This may seem like an overabundance of caution, but railroading is a dangerous sport. Always expect a train when you’re around the tracks. The second rule of railroading is that there is an exception to every rule. The North American freight car fleet in 2023 consisted of 2.03 million rail cars, according to Railinc’s Umler Equipment Index. Rail car fleet management — how empty cars get dispatched to move to their next loading point — is an ever-moving process and often requires fleet car managers to be nimble.

Amtrak to purchase 75 Tier 4 locomotives from Siemens Mobility in effort to replace aging fleet

Current Issue: May/June 2025

$6.95 (U.S. Orders Only)

Tuned In

Tariffs Cause Concern

Managing Freight Cars

Plus

Hobby Industry Coalition launches, calls for ‘desperately needed’ targeted tariff relief on model trains, hobbies

Tariffs on model railroad products stir industry; manufacturers face new challenges on pricing