Union Pacific begins battery-electric locomotive testing in Southern California

Union Pacific has deployed its first two battery-electric locomotives in Southern California, beginning a field-testing program intended to assess the technology’s reliability and operational fit in freight service. The two Wabtec FLXdrive locomotives are the first half of a four-unit order by Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP).

The railroad said the remaining two battery-electric units are scheduled to arrive in October, completing a fleet that will operate in the greater Los Angeles area. Union Pacific plans to use the locomotives in switching and local-customer service, putting them through daily work in a busy railyard environment.

The railroad said the tests will yield data on the units’ performance, reliability and operating capabilities. Each FLXdrive locomotive carries about 2. 7 megawatt-hours of energy storage supplied by roughly 7,000 battery cells, according to Union Pacific.

“Testing technologies like battery-electric locomotives help us to better understand what’s possible by putting these emerging technologies to work in actual railroad operations,” Union Pacific Chief Executive Jim Vena, in the announcement.

The deployment gives Union Pacific a four-locomotive battery-electric fleet in one of the nation’s most emissions-sensitive freight regions.

Southern California’s sprawling rail yards, local freight operations and port-related supply chains create a demanding setting for evaluating whether battery power can handle the repeated acceleration, braking and idle-time patterns of terminal and local assignments.

Wabtec Chairman and CEO Rafael Santana said operating the FLXdrive locomotives in daily service with Union Pacific would provide the real-world insights needed to refine and potentially scale the technology.

Union Pacific framed the battery-electric program as part of its ongoing effort to modernize operations, improve efficiency and explore technologies that could reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The railroad operates in 23 western states and serves nearly 7,300 communities.

Alternative technology to diesel power has seen only limited commercial application on the U. S. freight rail network. Battery power will prove viable “[o]nly if the local grid has the capacity to charge them,” said Josh Raglin, chief sustainability officer at Norfolk Southern, on LinkedIn. “Each loco charger requires the energy of 83 Tesla fast chargers.

Hybrid may be the better option as they can operate with or without charging.” Subscribe to FreightWaves’ Rail e-newsletter and get the latest insights on rail freight right in your inbox. Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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