Sierra Northern Railway Successfully Tests H2-Powered Switching Locomotive at NoCal Yard

    April 10, 2025
    Most switcher locomotives in California use an average of approximately 50,000 gallons of diesel per year per switcher, reducing more than 12 million gallons of diesel per year, which is equivalent to the same amount of fuel used each year by 20,000 light-duty vehicles.
    Screenshot of demonstration video credit Sierra Railroad/PR Newswire
    67f804316e2d366385c24b68 Sierra H2 Locomotive

    Sierra Northern Railway has completed testing on a four-axle hydrogen-fueled switching locomotive in northern California.

    Sierra Northern (SERA), which is the freight division of Sierra Railroad Co., is demonstrating hydrogen-powered locomotion in the West Sacramento rail yard. The use of hydrogen, which does not emit CO2, could help the railroad decarbonize by replacing fossil-fueled freight trains.

    "Sierra's successful test proves that short lines can retire pre-tier 0 to tier 4 diesel locomotives and replace them with a Hydrogen Powered Zero Emission Switcher Locomotives using our advanced hydrogen powered units," said Kennan H. Beard III, President of Sierra Northern Railway.

    Click here to see video of H2-fueled Switcher locomotive

    The demonstration of hydrogen powered zero emission switcher locomotive was funded through a $4,000,000 grant to fund the design, integration, and demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell switching locomotive from the California Energy Commission (CEC) and administered through GTI Energy.

    Most switcher locomotives in California use an average of approximately 50,000 gallons of diesel per year per switcher, reducing more than 12 million gallons of diesel per year, which is equivalent to the same amount of fuel used each year by 20,000 light-duty vehicles.

    Sierra Northern Railway is planning to build three additional zero emission hydrogen fueled switching locomotives from funding awarded by the State of California, California State Transportation Agency, Port and Freight Infrastructure Project Funding through a public-private partnership with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.

    The total project cost will be about $19,500,000 to expand on its existing efforts by developing, demonstrating, and testing three additional hydrogen-fueled, zero-emissions switcher locomotives.

    The testing will be conducted on the under progress test track in Sierra's West Sacramento rail yard. The project is expected to be completed in Q4 2027 and will expand the Sierra's hydrogen zero emission switching locomotive fleet to a total of four locomotives. It will also help Sierra convert its fleet to hydrogen powered zero-emission switchers as well as all 260+ switchers in California to a Sierra hydrogen powered zero emission switcher locomotive.

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