The Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency’s Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service will be powered by a more sustainable fuel alternative while operating on renewable diesel (RD), chemically similar to fossil diesel, made from renewable raw materials, such as used cooking oil, instead of crude oil.
RD reduces greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 63% throughout its lifecycle and is capable of minimizing other harmful emissions like fine particulates and nitrogen oxides, thereby providing an increase in the sustainability of rail travel in Southern California and improving local air quality, as compared to fossil diesel.
The passenger rail fleet is noted to be an efficient mode of travel, as train travel is 46% more energy efficient when compared to car travel. The fleet operates with diesel-electric Charger locomotives, and the passenger locomotive is set to receive the stringent Tier IV emissions certification from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The partners associated with the collaborative effort in adopting RD are the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Amtrak, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, and others.
