BNSF and Wabtec have announced plans to test a main line battery electric locomotive in North America in 2020, as part of a $45m (£34.7m) project that aims to develop a 100% battery-electric locomotive capable of operating in multiple with a conventional diesel locomotive.
For the test, the unit will operate on the 348-mile Stockton-Barstow line in California, and draw power from the battery locomotive to cut diesel consumption and reduce emissions.
The prototype locomotive will be equipped with a lithium-ion energy storage unit with around 20,000 cells, and will also use train energy management software to optimise the use of battery power based on the route profile.
We've read it in: International Railway Journal, September 2019, p12
