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RailAmerica Inc. and Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) recently purchased four new energy-efficient SD70M-2 locomotives from Electro-Motive Diesel Inc.

The locomotives, which cost about $8 million, arrived at FECR’s Bowden Yard in Jacksonville, Fla., last month. The 4,300-horsepower locomotives meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 2 emission standards and are 20 percent more fuel efficient than the SD40-2s they will replace, RailAmerica said.

“In addition to improved fuel economy and lower emissions, these locomotives feature better controls, improved communication systems and more pulling power,” said RailAmerica Chief Executive Officer John Giles in a prepared statement.

The locomotives also feature onboard Intellitrain systems, which use remote monitoring and diagnostics to provide health status data. The four new SD70M-2s will replace six older SD40-2s, RailAmerica said.

Fortress Investment Group owns both FECR and RailAmerica, which operates 42 regionals and short lines in the United States and Canada. Fortress plans to formally integrate FECR and RailAmerica in the near future.