According to ASLRRA, the project has two phases. The first phase includes a survey and inventory of the short line locomotive fleet, along with emissions testing. Specifically, the project will measure the exhaust emission profiles of common diesel-electric switcher and line-haul locomotives through field testing of non-traditional fuel technologies, including but not limited to additives and injectors. Phase-one testing is under way at Lake State Railway with Michigan Tech researchers on-site, and initial results will be shared with the industry next year.
ASLRRA says it plans to conduct the survey portion of the study soon and that the Association’s railroad members should expect to receive a survey in mid-April. ASLRRA encourages all recipients to aid these research efforts by completing the survey. Data collected will also be used to further the Association’s government affairs priorities in Washington, D.C.
According to ASLRRA, the second phase of the study will include more rigorous testing of locomotive emissions, with the goal to demonstrate more clearly “the impact of emission-reducing technology through the use of controlled experiments and increased emphasis on scientific method and instrumentation accuracy.”
