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10/13/2022
Metra yesterday debuted a new addition to its locomotive fleet — a remanufactured and refurbished EMD SD70MAC.
The locomotive is painted in "heritage" red, white and blue colors for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees Metra, Chicago Transit Authority and Pace, Metra officials said in a press release.
In January 2019, Metra's board inked a $70.9 million contract with Progress Rail Locomotives to buy 15 of the remanufactured locomotives, with one to be delivered each month starting in November.
Metra opted to buy remanufactured locomotives because it could buy more of them than if it purchased new ones. The newer locomotives will replace older models to improve the fleet's reliability.
The remanufactured locomotives have AC traction motors, which are more durable and reliable than the DC traction motors in Metra’s older locomotives. The commuter railroads estimates it will replace 160 DC traction motors annually, but Metra has not had to replace any of the 14-year-old AC traction motors in its self-propelled electric fleet, officials said.
The remanufactured locomotives have a similar design to Metra's F59 locomotives, so the railroad will be able to use the same inventory of parts and won't need different training and maintenance programs. Additionally, the locomotives will increase overall horsepower by 34% and feature a microprocessor-controlled brake system.
The remanufactured units meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 3 emissions standards. Metra is on track to reduce nitrous oxide emissions by 61 tons every year by replacing the older Tier 0+ locomotives with the remanufactured Tier 3 units under the EPA standards, according to Metra.