Friday, August 13, 1999 (Washington, DC)

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater today announced the award of $7 million in federal funding to continue the partnership between the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Bombardier Transit Corporation in producing a prototype non-electric high-speed locomotive by the year 2000.

"High-speed rail is an important part of President Clinton’s transportation vision for America in the 21st century," said Secretary Slater. "This successful public-private partnership is developing the technology which will enable safe and efficient high-speed rail passenger service."

The FRA and Bombardier are currently constructing a 5000-horsepower, self-propelled locomotive that will permit high-speed rail passenger service without requiring installation of overhead electrical wires to provide power to the train. Bombardier, Inc., an international company, is headquartered in Saint-Bruno, Québec. The prototype is being assembled in Bombardier Transportation’s Plattsburgh, N.Y., plant.

"This high-tech 21st century locomotive is taking shape, a product of our partnership with Bombardier," said FRA Administrator Jolene M. Molitoris. "The high-speed non-electric locomotive will greatly advance the introduction of high-speed rail services in many parts of the country."

The locomotive will use gas turbine and advanced electrical propulsion technology. It will weigh about 100 tons – about half the weight of some current diesel freight locomotives. Passenger trains powered by the 69-foot-long locomotive will be capable of traveling at speeds up to 150 mph. In the future, the prototype locomotive’s acceleration capability will be augmented by integrating a flywheel energy storage system being developed in a FRA-funded project at the Center for Electromechanics at the University of Texas at Austin.

The FRA and Bombardier are sharing prototype development costs on a 50-50 basis. This award of $7 million combined with $3 million in FRA funds awarded in fiscal year 1998 brings the total federal investment to $10 million. Bombardier also has contributed $10 million.

Currently, Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin have programs in place to address upgrading existing rail corridors to provide improved passenger rail service. Building on the upcoming Acela high-speed service in the Northeast, Amtrak is working with states and other partners to expand and increase speeds on corridor services in other parts of the country. The high-speed non-electric locomotive will make high-speed rail possible in many corridors where the costs and physical challenges of electrification are prohibitive.

The high-speed gas turbine locomotive is a principal element of the FRA’s Next Generation High-Speed Rail Technology Development Program which began in 1995. The aim of the program is to adapt existing technologies to reduce the cost of initiating high-speed rail service on existing rail lines. Central to these efforts are partnerships among the FRA, state transportation agencies, Amtrak, and the private sector. The High-Speed Rail Program also facilitates the use of advanced technologies through the development and demonstration of advanced computerized train control systems and the elimination of hazards at highway-rail grade crossings in designated corridors.