CSX Transportation brings cleaner air to city of New York
(CSX issued the following on June 29, 2009.)
NEW YORK CSX Transportation (CSXT) today unveiled four ultra-low emission GenSet locomotives to operate full-time at its Oak Point Yard in Bronx, New York, just hours after becoming the first major transportation provider to announce a voluntary emissions reduction plan.
GenSet locomotives are part of CSXTs commitment to bring cleaner air to the City of New York and all the communities in which we operate, said Tony Ingram, executive vice president and chief operating officer, CSX Transportation. They also show how the public and private sectors can work together to better the common good.
Four new GenSet locomotives will be used to switch cars within CSXTs Oak Point Yard in the Bronx and can also be utilized for road switching service. GenSet locomotives, manufactured by National Railway Equipment Company, reduce nitrous oxide and particulate matter emissions by 80 percent and can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 50 percent by monitoring engine idling and switching to sleep mode after a period of inactivity.
I applaud the ongoing efforts of CSX Transportation to move freight through my district with a minimum of environmental impacts, said Congressman José E. Serrano. The growing use of rail freight in the South Bronx is already responsible for taking thousands of diesel trucks off local roads each year. With this project, CSX is ensuring that its locomotive technology is not only cost-effective and highly efficient but also earth-friendly.
The GenSet locomotives were retrofitted through a partnership between CSXT and Federal Congestion, Mitigation, and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) funds allotted to the state and administered by the State of New York.
The Department of Transportation is proud to have enabled the purchase of these ultra-low emission locomotives by CSXT and welcomes their introduction in the South Bronx, where air quality is a significant concern, said Stanley Gee, acting commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). Under the leadership of Governor David Paterson, NYSDOT is working in partnership with CSXT to advance policies that provide transportation benefits, conserve energy and promote livable communities.
Improving air quality and ensuring efficient movement of freight in our region do not need to be mutually exclusive, said Joel P. Ettinger, Executive Director of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. The technology that will power the new locomotives will reduce NOX and Particulate Matter (PM) emissions and in doing so, will bring us closer to reaching air quality improvement goals established in our Regional Transportation Plan. NYMTC is pleased to have been able to play a role in securing CMAQ funding for these new engines.
CSXTs introduction of the GenSet locomotives is part of an overall plan to reduce CO2 emissions associated with its operations by 8% per revenue ton mile by 2011. This commitment was made as part of its participation in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Leaders Program, a voluntary program for businesses to inventory and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
CSXT has invested more than $1 billion to upgrade its locomotive fleet with technology that reduces fuel consumption and air pollutant emissions. Through these efforts, the company has improved its fuel efficiency by approximately 80 percent since 1980. By the end of 2009, an additional 1,200 CSX locomotives will be upgraded to further reduce emissions and lower fuel consumption by nearly 10 million gallons. CSX has a long standing commitment to air quality and clean operations.
CSX Transportation Inc. is a principal operating company of CSX Corporation. CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the leading transportation companies, providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. The companys transportation network spans 21,000 miles with service to 23 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and connects to more than 70 ocean, river, and lake ports. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at the company's web site, www.csx.com.
