Metra receives largest-ever grant to purchase zero-emission trainsets

I am super excited to see how this plays out!

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/m ... s/3253066/

Metra will receive a federal grant worth nearly $170 million to purchase zero-emission trainsets, the largest such grant in the agency’s history.

According to officials, Metra will receive the $169.3 million grant as part of a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program.

Metra will likely introduce the trainsets on the Rock Island Line, the agency said, in an effort to improve air quality on Chicago’s South Side.

"Such trains are already used in Germany, France and Australia"

Alstom? Curious omission of Mexico if so

Zero emissions? Where's the electricity coming from for the batteries?

All this does is move the emissions somewhere else, or rely on nuclear power which will always have its own special legacy.

Maybe some trains like Amtrak Airo version with out an diesel engine en perhaps with an panto to charge the train when they are at Union Station or and end station?

Maybe can Amtrak put 25 kV 60 Hz catenary up in on their tracks owned in the Chicago area

SRich wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 2:06 pm Maybe some trains like Amtrak Airo version with out an diesel engine en perhaps with an panto to charge the train when they are at Union Station or and end station?

Maybe can Amtrak put 25 kV 60 Hz catenary up in on their tracks owned in the Chicago area

Well from what I understood, it would be battery powered, no diesel.

I don’t know if putting up wires just in union station makes sense. Amtrak doesn’t own any trackage in Illinois.

eolesen wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 1:46 pm Zero emissions? Where's the electricity coming from for the batteries?

All this does is move the emissions somewhere else, or rely on nuclear power which will always have its own special legacy.

Well for now, just nuclear. But the governor vetoed a nuclear bill recently, and there seems to be a slim chance they bring it up for a vote during the upcoming veto session, which is unfortunate.

DominikW118 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 2:59 pm

SRich wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 2:06 pm Maybe some trains like Amtrak Airo version with out an diesel engine en perhaps with an panto to charge the train when they are at Union Station or and end station?

Maybe can Amtrak put 25 kV 60 Hz catenary up in on their tracks owned in the Chicago area

Well from what I understood, it would be battery powered, no diesel.

I don’t know if putting up wires just in union station makes sense. Amtrak doesn’t own any trackage in Illinois.

If Amtrak also putting wires up on the Chicago–Detroit Line between Porter and Dearborn then they can use that in the future for some Airo ICT's

But back to subject.

What kind of trains are we talking about. A stadler KISS 3 or 4 car version with an battery pack car instead of 2 diesels, or are we talking like an Battery locomotive with cars...

A procurement document from 2021 mentions both Siemens and Alstom BEMU sets operating in Europe, so probably something similar to those. Think a FLIRT.

In Europe, almost every BEMU are normal EMU's with an batterypack for a "x" amount of kilomters/miles....

I still don't see a viable solution for an fully BEMU without an pantograph or an diesel powerpack making it an hybrid. Maybe those new unit's have space for an future hydrogen fuel cell unit that can charge the batteries....

I doubt we'll ever see new wire within 100 miles of Chicago outside what NICTD is doing.

16 trainsets won't do anything except the lowest volume lines, but maybe it's time to convert a few of those to single level Flirts. Keep the Corradia's on the high volume lines, and stop running 2-4 car trains on the NCS, SWS, and maybe RID....

Federal grant received: SunTimes

Metra to buy zero-emission, self-propelled rail cars with $169.3M federal grant

Metra is set to receive a $169.3 million federal grant to buy self-propelled rail cars that could help the commuter railroad reduce its carbon dioxide emissions.

“We think zero-emission train sets could be an exciting and positive addition to Metra’s fleet for a variety of reasons,” Metra CEO Jim Derwinski said in a news release. “Beyond the environmental and noise reduction benefits, they also offer savings in energy consumption as well as better efficiency, flexibility and reliability.”
...
Buying the train sets would allow Metra to retire some of its oldest, most polluting diesel locomotives. If Metra could take 16 locomotives out of service six years earlier than planned, it would reduce Metra’s carbon dioxide emissions by about 567,000 tons over that period, said Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis.

The train sets will likely be introduced on Metra’s Rock Island Line, which runs between Chicago’s La Salle Street station and Joliet.
...

eolesen wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 1:46 pmZero emissions? Where's the electricity coming from for the batteries?

All this does is move the emissions somewhere else, or rely on nuclear power which will always have its own special legacy.

Solar, wind, hydroelectric. Welcome to 2023 (1880 for hydroelectric).

Last I heard, Illinois still has an ~80% reliance on natural gas and nuclear. Wind and solar are around 10% of the state's generating capacity. Coal, biomass and waste oil make up the remainder.

So let's stop the public lie here and now.... There will still be a significant percentage of greenhouse emissions or radioactive waste left behind in someone else's back yard to power these batteries.

(disclaimer: I'm a huge supporter of nuclear power. I'd rather see Federal funds going towards spent fuel recycling vs. pet projects)

eolesen wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 6:45 pmLast I heard, Illinois still has an ~80% reliance on natural gas and nuclear. Wind and solar are around 10% of the state's generating capacity. Coal, biomass and waste oil make up the remainder.

So let's stop the public lie here and now.... There will still be a significant percentage of greenhouse emissions or radioactive waste left behind in someone else's back yard to power these batteries.

So by your numbers, 90% of the power generated in Illinois is considered emission free ... certainly less emission than a pool of diesel engines idling 24/7. Your public lie is that moving the generation elsewhere does nothing to reduce overall emissions. "Significant" defined as non-zero?

30% is NG generated. Still significant considering IL is the fifth largest consumer of electricity.

This grant is window dressing and virtue signalling. Probably ultimately a waste of money as we have seen in MA with battery buses.

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk