Metro-North to introduce battery- and electric-powered locomotives

MTA Metro-North Railroad will expand its rail-car fleet will with battery- and electric-powered passenger locomotives that will provide service into Penn Station in New York City and four additional stations in the Bronx.

The 13 Siemens Mobility Chargers will be the first locomotives of this power type to operate in North America, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced yesterday in a press release. 

The planned purchase of locomotives is part of a larger Metro-North Railroad expansion; they will be purchased by exercising an option on an existing contract with Siemens for 33 dual-mode locomotives that operate on diesel and third-rail power. 

The Chargers will draw electrical power from catenary, then switch to battery mode for tracks in and around Penn Station, offering zero-emission service. The model was based on the leading locomotive platform in Europe, the Vectron, Metro-North officials said. The units are expected to be similar in appearance to the diesel/electric SC42-DM locomotives that Metro-North unveiled in November 2024. 

The purchase is pending approval by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board, expected tomorrow. Financial details and a timeline for operation were not disclosed in the press release.

“Transit is the antidote to climate change, and these locomotives — the first ever in North America — demonstrate, again, the MTA’s commitment to using innovation to green the region,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.