The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) has ordered seven Siemens Mobility Charger diesel-electric locomotives to modernise the Tri-Rail commuter fleet serving Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
The order covers Siemens Charger locomotives configured to meet Tri-Rail’s operational and regulatory requirements, including access to MiamiCentral Station via the Florida East Coast (FEC) Corridor. According to SFRTA, the new locomotives will replace six EMD GP49 locomotives currently in service.
The Charger locomotives will operate along Tri-Rail’s 73.5-mile corridor between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, as well as the additional 8-mile FEC segment required to reach MiamiCentral. Access to the downtown terminal requires rolling stock compliant with specific technical and safety standards.
SFRTA stated that the procurement is funded through the Federal Transit Administration. Siemens Mobility was identified as the only supplier able to meet the authority’s technical, operational and regulatory specifications for the project.
The locomotives are EPA Tier 4 compliant and will be built at Siemens Mobility’s Sacramento, California manufacturing facility. The units are Buy America compliant.
Tri-Rail is the first operator in South Florida to introduce Siemens Charger locomotives into commuter service. Siemens Mobility’s Charger platform is already in use with more than 35 passenger rail agencies across North America.
