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3/2/2022
OmniTRAX affiliate Newburgh & South Shore Railroad (NSR) has purchased its first all-battery electric locomotive to operate on its northern Ohio rail lines.
The new AMPS Traction GP9-based battery electric switching locomotive is a 250,000-pound unit with 1,700 gross horsepower and an 80,000-pound dispatch, OmniTRAX officials said in a press release.
NSR is the first Ohio short line to deploy AMPS' emission-reducing locomotive, which is designed to reduce fuel consumption by half and cut nitrogen oxide emissions and particulate matter by 77%, they said.
The railroad was selected as a grantee by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Diesel Mitigation Trust Fund, which awards funding that supports a demonstrated improvement of air quality. The NSR was one of seven grantees receiving awards for projects that reduce emissions from aging diesel vehicles and equipment.
"AMPS Traction's innovative technology is an important addition to our fleet and an important step for our industry," said OmniTRAX CEO Dean Piacente. "We are thankful to Gov. [Mike] DeWine and Ohio EPA for their commitment to clean air and the grant program that has made this emission-saving equipment upgrade possible in our Ohio operations."
Based in Cuyahoga County, NSR serves customers in the Cleveland area. The short line interchanges with CSX, Norfolk Southern Railway, the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Co. and Cleveland Works Railroad.