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11/2/2023
An environmentally friendly locomotive will soon service the Jacksonville Port Authority's (Jaxport) Talleyrand Marine Terminal.
The unit is one of eight locomotives nationwide being converted from diesel to battery-powered through funding provided by Watco Rail Services and a Federal Railroad Administration grant, according to a Jaxport officials said in a news release.
The FRA awarded Watco, through its sponsor, the Kansas Department of Transportation, $15.7 million to convert the locomotives. The units will be deployed nationwide to Watco’s short lines with switching capabilities, including one that will be used in Jacksonville, Florida.
The new locomotive servicing Jacksonville — which will arrive in about two years — will replace an older diesel-powered unit. The upgrades will improve system and service performance while building resilience through reductions in emissions and maintenance expenses, port officials said.