California, Illinois and Maryland have placed orders for a total of 34 additional Charger locomotives from Siemens.
The new diesel-electric locomotives will be built at Siemens’ factory in Sacramento and have been exercised as options from a framework contract announced in 2014.
In total, the authorities are able to procure up to 222 locomotives under the framework.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has ordered 14 locomotives for its Pacific Surfliner Amtrak route along the southern California coast from San Luis Obispo to San Diego via Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has ordered 12 locomotives, and the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has ordered eight for the MARC commuter rail line, which connects Baltimore, Brunswick, Frederick, Martinsburg and Washington D.C.
The diesel engine and traction system for the units will be manufactured in the USA.
