Wabtec Corporation said its MotivePower subsidiary has signed a $45 million contract with Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario and the regional transportation authority for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), to repower 11 locomotives with new engines and propulsion systems that meet significantly higher environmental standards.  Deliveries are expected to begin in 2014.

The locomotives, originally built by MotivePower about five years ago, will be repowered with new engines that meet Tier 4 emission standards, as set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  They include technology that reduces diesel particulate emissions by about 85 percent and NOx emissions by about 75 percent compared to the current models.

“These will be the first North American passenger locomotives to be equipped with Tier 4 technology,” said Albert J. Neupaver, Wabtec’s president and chief executive officer.  “We believe MotivePower is well positioned to participate further in this market by offering similar environmental upgrades to existing diesel-electric commuter locomotives throughout North America as the new standards are phased in over the next several years.”