South Coast AQMD Invests in Metrolink

Metrolink received South Coast AQMD’s Carl Moyer Program Grant funding to test new locomotives that will go beyond the current emmision regulations. Funding will be used to procure two zero-emissions rail vehicles, which will be tested on system's most challenging route, the Antelope Valley Line that runs through Sylmar. 

“We continue to explore emerging technologies that will help us reduce our environmental footprint because it’s the right thing to do,” Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle said. “In 2012, we pushed for Tier 4 locomotives because we knew the impact that reducing our emissions would have on the communities we serve. Ten years later, we became the first passenger rail system in the nation to power our entire locomotive fleet with renewable fuel. We’re honored to once again have the support of South Coast AQMD as we pursue lower- and zero-emission alternatives.”

In 2017, Metrolink became the first U.S. passenger rail service  to operate Tier 4 locomotives, which meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s strictest standards and significantly reduce smog-forming emissions and particulate matter. South Coast AQMD was instrumental in bringing Tier 4 technology to Southern California, contributing $110 million in grant funds between 2013 and 2017 to help Metrolink purchase its existing fleet of 40 Tier 4 locomotives. The additional 12 Tier 4 locomotives will replace older Tier 2 models that are still in service.

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