Newburgh & South Shore Railroad Becomes Ohio’s First Shortline Railroad to Deploy AMPS’s Emission Reducing Locomotive
CLEVELAND – Newburgh & South Shore Railroad (NSR), an affiliate of OmniTRAX, has purchased its first all-battery electric locomotive to service its northern Ohio rail lines. The new AMPS Traction GP9 based battery electric switching locomotive is a 250,000 lb. FRA compliant unit with 1,700 gross horsepower and 80,000 lb. dispatch. The locomotive’s innovative technology reduces fuel consumption by half and cuts NOx emissions and particulate matter 77%.
“OmniTRAX is committed to operate safely and responsibly in the communities we serve, and AMPS Traction’s innovative technology is an important addition to our fleet and an important step for our industry,” said OmniTRAX CEO Dean Piacente. “We are thankful to Governor DeWine and Ohio EPA for their commitment to clean air and the grant program that has made this emission-saving equipment upgrade possible in our Ohio operations.”
NSR was selected as a grantee from the $75M Diesel Mitigation Trust Fund, overseen by Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The Fund, in its fourth year of grants, awards eligible applicants with grants that support the demonstratable improvement of air quality. The new AMPS Traction battery-electric locomotive is projected to reduce NSR emissions by 77%, thereby removing 4.2 tons of nitrogen oxide from the atmosphere.
The EPA’s national and regional rules to reduce emissions of NO2 and NOx help state and local governments meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). Based in Cuyahoga County, NSR serves rail customers in the greater Cleveland area. The NSR was one of seven grantees awarded for projects that reduce emissions from aging diesel vehicles and equipment.
