WASHINGTON — Building on the environmental benefits of rail travel, Amtrak has released its Fiscal 2021 Sustainability Report, outlining its efforts to improve sustainability by addressing greenhouse gas emissions and use of diesel fuel and electricity.
Those efforts include the introduction of new Siemens Charger locomotives on long-distance routes, Tier-4-compliant units that emit 89% less nitrogen oxide and 95% less particulate matter than current details, as well as plans to purchase new, more efficient equipment — including some dual-mode equipment — for Northeast Corridor and state-supported services.
Also included are plans to increase capacity, reliability, and performance on the Northeast Corridor, taking cars off the road and reducing carbon emssions, and introduction of solar-powered gates on the corridor to increase security prior to the launch of the new Acela service, now expected sometime in 2023.
The company also touts its Connects US plan as an effort to expand energy-efficient passenger service to underserved area, saying that plan’s corridor-focused approach will better reflect population growth, demographic shifts, and other changes since the Amtrak network was established.
“Driving sustainability at Amtrak means transforming the customer experience, reducing our carbon footprint and expanding service to new markets across America,” CEO Stephen Gardner said in a press release. “Recognizing the urgency to act now, Amtrak is out to change the way our country moves.”
More information, including a link to the report, is available at the Sustainability page on the Amtrak website.
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