The Siemens SC42-DM is a dual-mode locomotive that can run on either diesel or electric power from a third rail. (STV Inc.)

Battery-electric, zero-emission locomotives also in the offing for Penn Station Service

Martin Wahl

In October 2025, New York Governor Hochul announced the October 6 launch of the high-speed Poughkeepsie to New York City service. The MTA’s new Siemens Mobility hybrid diesel and electric locomotive cuts travel times between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central Terminal to less than 90 minutes each way. Initially planned to launch in 2026, work was completed ahead of schedule, allowing for the faster service to begin in October. As stated in the State’s press release, “[saving] commuters nearly 15 minutes of travel time every day, giving riders back over an hour a week of their precious time.”

The Siemens SC42-DM is a dual-mode locomotive that can run on either diesel or electric power from a third rail. Trains that run the full distance from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central Terminal switch seamlessly between diesel power for the non-electrified northern section and electric power when they enter the electrified zone, including the tunnels into Grand Central. About half of the distance, from New York City to Croton-Hudson, is electrified. From there to Poughkeepsie, the trains run under diesel power.

STV, Incorporated of New York was engaged to acquire the locomotives from Siemens Mobility, a US-based subsidiary of Germany’s Siemens AG, to replace the aged-out, GE GENESIS P32AC-DM locomotives, which had either reached or exceeded their projected 25-year lifespan. The GE locomotives were also dual motor diesel+electric.

To learn more, see Diesel-Electric and Diesel+Electric: What’s the Difference? 

Metro North plans to acquire 13 battery-electric locomotives, also from Siemens, for use when the Penn Access Project, launched in 2022, is completed in 2027, adding four new commuter rail stations on that line in the Bronx. The zero-emission units will run on battery power when there is no external electric power available and will be the first battery-electric locomotives in the U.S. Battery-electric locomotives have been implemented around the world, since the mid-20 teens.

In the U.S., EMD’s Joule Series of battery-electric switch engines for railyards have been available since 2020, deployed in Brazil and at Pacific Harbor Lines in Southern California.

Mining companies in Australia have ordered battery electric locomotives from EMD and Wabtec. Electrics are well-suited to mining operations where their regenerative braking pays off on steeper terrain.

In Japan, battery-powered commuter trains have been in service for some time, and Hitachi is introducing intercity rail trains that can travel up to 70 kilometers on a charge.

Other countries that have introduced battery-electric locomotives include Germany, Hungary, Thailand, Denmark, Italy, and China.

Congratulations to New York State for pursuing environmentally-sound improvements to its rail transportation system.

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