In addition, Wabtec has also announced an MOU with Genesee & Wyoming (G&W), the largest owner of short line and regional freight railroads, to pursue zero-emission battery and hydrogen freight strategies, as well as increase rail utilization across North America.
The announcements are based on a joint vision of building a more sustainable freight transportation network. This vision consists of two parts: powering locomotive fleets with alternative energy sources, such as batteries, and eventually, hydrogen fuel cells for a zero-emissions freight rail network pilot, and advancements to current signaling systems and digital technologies to increase rail network capacity, utilization and safety across the US.
To accelerate this effort, Carnegie Mellon University, G&W and Wabtec aspire to create the Freight Rail Innovation Institute – the first-of-its-kind effort to create zero-emission locomotives, develop technology that increases freight rail utilization and improve safety by 50%, and create 250,000 jobs by 2030.
Carnegie Mellon University will play a leading role in developing the engineering technologies that bring together the data, logistics and intelligence needed to optimize rail operations, while reducing emissions.
Farnam Jahanian, president of Carnegie Mellon University, said, “Advances in digital technologies and AI will revolutionize freight rail by driving dramatic improvements in safety and network capacity, while simultaneously increasing efficiency across the nation’s supply chain. As these emerging technologies converge with clean energy breakthroughs, we also see a tremendous opportunity to enable the decarbonization of freight rail. CMU looks forward to bringing our research capabilities and our proven track record of success with industry partners to this important effort.”
G&W’s Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad will pilot technologies developed by the Freight Rail Innovation Institute, including a zero-emissions battery and hydrogen-powered train that is planned for revenue operation over 200 miles of track between Pittsburgh and Buffalo, within the next three years.
Jack Hellmann, CEO of G&W, said, “Through this partnership, we plan to transform the next generation of freight rail transportation by adopting advanced technologies that can eliminate emissions and increase rail utilization without requiring significant new rail infrastructure. The end result will be a cleaner environment, more competitive transportation for our nation’s industrial producers, and a freight rail system that remains the most efficient in the world.”
The MoU announcements also highlighted Wabtec’s FLXdrive, the world’s first heavy-haul battery-electric locomotive. Earlier this year, the FLXdrive demonstrated its capabilities in revenue operations during a three-month pilot in California, covering more than 13,000 miles of track.
Read more about this project in Electric & Hybrid Rail Technology's exclusive interview with Alan Hamilton, VP of engineering at Wabtec Corporation. Click here.