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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) recently issued a request for proposals to purchase up to 40 new diesel-electric passenger locomotives.

The commuter-rail agency plans to replace its oldest and least environmentally friendly locomotives with more reliable motive power that emits fewer pollutants and uses less fuel.
 
Currently, MBTA’s “T” commuter-rail fleet comprises 410 coaches, including 140 bi-level and 270 single coaches, and 80 locomotives. The fleet ranges in age from 29 to seven years.   

MBTA expects to receive Federal Transit Administration grants covering about 80 percent of the locomotives’ cost; the agency’s Capital Investment Program will cover the remaining 20 percent.