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Pacific Harbor Line Inc. (PHL) has christened the first four units of 16 environmentally friendly switchers the short line will be operating at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., by December. Yesterday, PHL and port officials commissioned the remanufactured diesel-electric locomotives, which meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 2 emission standards.

The 60-mile short line has ordered 14 MP20C-3 six-axle and two MP20B-3 four-axle locomotives from MotivePower Inc. All units will feature 2,000-horsepower MTU-Detroit diesel engines designed to reduce air emissions between 40 percent and 70 percent, and cut fuel usage up to 30 percent.

The first switchers to be built in the United States with MTU-Detroit prime movers, the locomotives also will feature electronic control equipment supplied by Q-Tron.

MotivePower will deliver two switchers each month and complete delivery of the remaining 12 units by year’s end.

PHL is contributing $10 million and the ports, $5 million toward the locomotives’ $23 million cost. California’s Carl Moyer Program will provide additional funds.

“Port of Los Angeles terminals with on-dock rail handled more than 1.3 million containers during 2006 — 28 percent of all containers handled at our port,” said Executive Director Geraldine Knatz in a prepared statement. “That’s why PHL’s clean fleet investment is so important to us.”

Owned by Anacostia & Pacific Co. Inc., PHL provides switching services to port customers and dispatches all BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad trains within the ports.