Basic HTML Version
19
Locomotives
Since the beginning of 2000, BNSF has acquired
more than 2,500 new locomotives that are
more
fuel efficient
than the older locomotives
they replaced. This effort has yielded one of the
industry’s newest and most fuel-eff icient f leets of
road locomotives that is able to pull more freight
with less fuel. Over the past 10 years, BNSF’s fuel
consumption has only increased 14 percent, while
the volume and distance of freight moved has
increased 29 percent.
have
contributed to greater eff iciency and a
smaller carbon footprint
for our
long-haul road locomotives.
BNSF was the f irst in the rail industry to develop
and begin testing
hydrogen fuel cell
technology
for switch locomotives. While still
experimental, BNSF has partnered with the
U.S. Department of Defense to assume a leadership
role in the development of hydrogen fuel cell
technology currently being tested in switch
locomotives, which work in rail yards to assemble rail
cars into trains.
BNSF has
84 ultra-low emission SWITCH
locomotives
in service. This locomotive has
three low-horsepower engines that only operate when
needed instead of one large engine operating at all
times, saving fuel and reducing air emissions. These
locomotives reduce nitrogen oxide and particulate
matter emissions by 80 to 90 percent and improve
fuel eff iciency by 25 percent compared to standard
switch engines.