RPS supplies BATS to NCDOT, appoints M&S director

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
image description

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has awarded Fullerton, Calif.-based Rail Propulsion Systems (RPS) a contract for a second Blended After Treatment System (BATS) to retrofit its fleet of EMD F59PH diesel-electric passenger locomotives.

Installation of BATS technology will upgrade the NCDOT fleet, currently at EPA Tier 0 emissions, to Tier 4 Minus. BATS achieves the Tier 4 criteria for NOx, hydrocarbons and CO, and exceeds Tier 3 for particulate matter.

RPS Chief Technical Officer Dave Cook noted that NCDOT “has been very supportive as a launch customer of the system while it has been under development” He added that BATS “will soon be available to passenger rail authorities with similar legacy passenger locomotives. Our philosophy is to make the maximum use of existing assets while upgrading them with the latest electronics to achieve practical solutions for air quality requirements.”

A parallel project now under way is a battery-powered yard switcher. This will be followed by a main line booster locomotive, and finally a wireless, all-electric system. “All of these projects are based on re-using major components of existing locomotives matched with the latest technology to provide economical solutions for passenger rail agencies,” RPS said.

In a related development, RPS has appointed Paul Dyson as Director, Marketing and Sales, responsible for growing the customer base for BATS, as well as battery switcher locomotives and hybrid and battery main line locomotives.

Dyson is a veteran of the railroad industry, beginning with the Southern Region of British Railways. He has had a varied career in rail operations, trucking, logistics, railcar finance and consulting.

Tags: , , , , , ,