USA: New York MTA has exercised a $386m option for Wabtec to supply a further 45 R255 battery-diesel hybrid locomotives for hauling engineering trains on the Subway network.
MTA ordered an initial 25 locomotives in 2020 to replace diesel-only locos dating from 1966-77, with the option for up to 45 more.
The locos are being built at Wabtec’s plant in Erie, Pennsylvania. The first two were delivered 2024 for acceptance testing, and the type was approved for use in early 2025.
The locos from the latest order announced on January 7 are to be delivered from 2027.
Improved air quality
Wabtec said the hybrid locos offer enhanced reliability and efficiency while contributing to improved air quality across the network. Maintenance crews will benefit from better working conditions, especially in the tunnels, with the 500 kWh locomotives able to work in battery-only mode within confined work zones for up to 8 h and move work trains when the third rail power is turned off.
Other features include internal and external cameras with a digital video recorder to capture images of infrastructure assets, and onboard monitoring and diagnostics systems to support preventative and condition-based maintenance.
