Canadian National Railway (CN) has initiated a pilot project to evaluate a new medium horsepower hybrid electric locomotive to advance its efforts towards more sustainable rail operations.
Developed in collaboration with Knoxville Locomotive Works, the locomotive is planned to be tested in different conditions across CN’s network to assess its potential for improving efficiency and fuel savings.
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The locomotive, a 3,200 medium horsepower hybrid unit, is an upgrade from CN’s traditional low horsepower models used in yards and branch lines.
It features an advanced control system and a horsepower of up to 60%, driven by a 2.4MWh-700HP battery-diesel engine that is compatible with 100% biofuel.
This hybrid system is expected to cut fuel consumption by about 50% compared to standard locomotives in similar service.
CN executive vice-president and chief network operating officer Patrick Whitehead said: “This CN-led pilot represents another milestone in our sustainability journey and focus on emerging technologies.
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By GlobalData“We believe that this hybrid system, if successful, could substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our yard operations, while maintaining our commitment to customers and communities across our network.”
CN anticipates this initiative to further hybrid locomotive technology while contributing to “immediate” reduction in emissions.
The hybrid locomotive is planned to be deployed in phases across various CN yards and branch lines in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana over the next six months.
The testing will also extend to include cold weather operations in Western Canada, allowing CN to assess the locomotive’s efficiency and operational protocols comprehensively.
This pilot is a component of CN’s broader strategy to achieve deep decarbonisation and net-zero emissions, complementing other locomotive pilots previously announced.
In October 2024, Duos Technologies Group and CN signed an agreement for Machine Vision/AI Wayside Detection Safety Data subscriptions.
This AI technology, used by CN for over five years in Canada and the US, supports manual inspections to improve railway safety and reliability.
