Siemens Mobility’s Locomotive Success is Good News for Cummins’ QSK95 Engine System and the Environment
Thats because the locomotives will continue to use Cummins QSK95 Tier 4 engine systems to help deliver clean, efficient power for passenger trains.
2018 was a great year for Siemens Mobility’s popular Charger
locomotives, which means Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) employees will be
keeping busy over the next few years. That’s because the locomotives
will continue to use Cummins’ QSK95 Tier 4 engine systems to help
deliver clean, efficient power for passenger trains.
As a fitting end to an already strong year of wins for the Charger,
Amtrak announced
Dec. 21 that it would be purchasing 75 Charger locomotives for
delivery starting in 2021. All in all, the value of Siemens Mobility
contracts for the year involving the Charger including the Amtrak
purchase exceeded $1.5 billion.
The contracts will more than double the number of Charger locomotives in
revenue service, and include multi-year parts, service and support
agreements in addition to buy options for future purchases. The most
recent contract will result in the single largest North American rail
engine system purchase with aftermarket agreements in Cummins’ history.
“Cummins is proud to be a part of this tremendous locomotive, which is
not just demonstrating every day it can move people dependably and
efficiently, but also delivering significant reductions in particulate
matter (PM), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2),” said Regina
Barringer, General Manager – Global Rail and Defense at Cummins.
“Siemens Mobility has built a tremendous product that is making a
positive impact through all of North America and we’re glad to be part
that,” she added.
PARTNERS FROM THE START
The QSK95 is the largest diesel engine Cummins manufactures, built at
the company’s engine plant in Seymour, Indiana (U.S.A.). In addition to
the rail market, the 16-cylinder engine, rated at between 4,000 and
4,400-horsepower, is operating in the marine and power generation
markets and is available for other industrial applications.
The engine system has played a key role in the Charger’s success from
the beginning, when Siemens first received a round of orders in 2014 for
81 locomotives by passenger rail systems in Washington, California,
Oregon, Illinois, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana and
Maryland. Currently, there are 70 of the locomotives in revenue
operation. As of Jan. 8, they had traveled more than 5 million service
miles.
The QSK95 engine system is a high-speed diesel engine using the latest
in clean diesel technology. The engine will provide a huge environmental
improvement over the medium-speed diesel engines it will be replacing –
some dating back to the 1990s.
The Charger was the first high-speed passenger locomotive to enter
service meeting the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 4 emission
standards in North America. It is expected to achieve an approximate 10
percent improvement in CO2, a nearly 90 percent improvement in NOx and a
more than 95 percent improvement in PM compared to the locomotives it is
replacing. Carbon dioxide is a key contributor to greenhouse gases
(GHGs) while NOx and PM contribute to smog.
Advocates hope expanding train travel in North America will convince
people to leave their cars at home more frequently, further reducing the
GHGs that contribute to climate change while improving the environment.
POWERING ICONIC ROUTES
“These new locomotives will offer increased reliability, more hauling
power, improved safety features and lower emissions,” said Amtrak
President and CEO Richard Anderson in a joint news release with Siemens
announcing the Amtrak purchase.
“Siemens Mobility is honored and grateful to Amtrak for this opportunity
to assist Amtrak in their mission to provide safe, world-class,
environmentally conscious technology for their long-distance services,”
added Michael Cahill, President of Siemens Mobility’s North America
rolling stock business, in the joint release.
For Amtrak’s most recent order, the Charger will be powering trains
crisscrossing the United States on some of Amtrak’s most iconic routes
including the Auto Train, California Zephyr, Capitol
Limited, Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Coast
Starlight, Crescent, Empire Builder, Lake
Shore Limited, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Silver
Star, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle. The
locomotive is expected to begin passenger service in the fall of 2021.
About Cummins Inc.
Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary
business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a
broad portfolio of power solutions. The company’s products range from
diesel and natural gas engines to hybrid and electric platforms, as well
as related technologies, including battery systems, fuel systems,
controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical
power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.A.),
since its founding in 1919, Cummins currently employs approximately
58,600 people committed to powering a more prosperous world. Cummins
serves customers in about 190 countries and territories through a
network of some 500 company-owned and independent distributor locations
and approximately 7,500 dealer locations. Cummins earned $1 billion on
sales of $20.4 billion in 2017. Press releases can be found on the Web
at www.cummins.com.
Follow Cummins on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cummins
and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/cumminsinc.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190125005289/en/