Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has ordered eight locomotives as part of its $US 800m federally-funded Cascades High-Speed Rail Program. The locomotives were procured as part of a $US 228m contract for 32 units for Illinois, California, Michigan, Missouri and Washington, which was awarded to Siemens by Illinois Department of Transportation in 2014.

One of the locomotives for Illinois has already undergone testing on the Cascades Corridor in preparation for the delivery of the WSDOT batch. The locomotives are due to begin entering service in the summer.

The four-axle ac traction Charger is the first locomotive to be equipped with Cummins’ QSK 95 power unit. The 95-litre 16-cylinder engine is rated at 3.28MW and is equipped with Cummins’ Modular Common Rail Fuel System (MCRS) with quad-turbocharging. The QSK95 also features Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust aftertreatment, ensuring compliance with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 emissions standards.

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