MTA launches new 4,200hp locomotives to replace Metro-North fleet

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in the US has revealed new 4,200hp locomotives to upgrade and replace the current fleet of Metro-North Railroad.

Being developed by Siemens Mobility, the two new SC42-DM locomotives will serve routes to Poughkeepsie, Southeast, Waterbury and Danbury.

The arrival of locomotives Nos. 301 and 302 marks a key milestone, initiating the second phase of qualification testing, stated MTA.

Phase I, conducted in Pueblo, Colorado, validated the locomotives’ overall dynamic performance, while phase II will test their performance in the Metro-North operating environment.

They will travel much farther under electric power than the existing P32 fleet they are replacing.

The P32s operate on electric power only for the four miles through the tunnel at Grand Central Terminal, while the new locomotives are expected to run in electric mode for the complete 102 miles of Metro-North’s third rail territory, extending to Croton-Harmon, Southeast, and Pelham.