Sierra Northern Railway (SNR) on Feb. 7 reported acquiring the assets of locomotive manufacturer RailPower LLC in an aim to build additional hydrogen-powered units.
RailPower, which has been the short line company’s partner on a project to convert diesel switchers to hydrogen-powered zero emission units, “has a strong legacy, having produced approximately 190 locomotives, including 55 GG20B hybrid switchers, 116 RP20BD genset locomotives, and other models like the GG10B, GK10B, RP14BD, and RP20SD,” said SNR, which operates approximately 75 miles of track in Northern California and 30 miles in Southern California. “These locomotives are recognized for their fuel efficiency and low emissions, serving industrial switching, short line railroads, and port operations across North America.”
SNR said it is “poised to integrate RailPower’s hybrid innovations with its hydrogen expertise,” and plans to build hydrogen locomotives on RailPower’s platform, “initially targeting the 260 locomotives used by short line railroads in California.”
SNR began its hydrogen-powered switcher program in 2021. It was awarded nearly $4 million from the California Energy Commission to retire an older EPA Tier 0 diesel-powered switcher and replace it with a hydrogen fuel cell-powered (HFC), zero emission unit. In 2023, the company landed a $15.6 million grant from the California State Transportation Authority (CalSTA) to convert three additional diesel switchers to HFC units. Both the California Energy Commission and the CalSTA projects “involve the integration of an advanced hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen storage, advanced battery, and systems control technologies to provide an alternative to less environmentally friendly diesel-powered locomotives,” SERA reported during its award announcements.
CalSTA noted in 2023 that its funding was slated to “refine SERA’s hydrogen (H2) locomotive technology in furtherance of its desire to convert 50% of its own locomotives to H2 technology in the next decade, while simultaneously commercializing the technology and encouraging other short lines to do the same.”
In addition to RailPower, SNR has been teaming with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, Ballard Power Systems; Velocity Strategies; Gas Technology Institute; WHA International; UC Riverside, College of Engineering–Center for Environmental Research and Technology; and Valley Vision on its program.
SNR is owned by Sierra Railroad Company, the principal owner of Sierra Energy Corporation, which has developed a proprietary waste-to-clean hydrogen technology.
Further Reading:
- OptiFuel, CSU Pueblo, UDel Awarded $26MM in CRISI Grants
- USDOT: $31.4MM for SNR, MRY
- OptiFuel to Begin Testing New Locomotive, Tender Prototypes
- SERA Lands $15.6MM Grant for Zero-Emission Switchers Project
- SERA Unveils Hydrogen Switcher Livery
- SoCalGas Provides $500,000 to help develop SNR’s HFC-powered switcher
- Ballard Power Systems Providing Fuel Cell Modules to SNR
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