The Grand Canyon Railway has received $3.4 million in federal funding to convert one of its classic diesel-powered locomotives to a battery-powered one, Matador Network reported. This new electric locomotive project will deliver a more positive guest experience while helping to preserve the beauty and environment of this iconic national park.
The Grand Canyon Railway runs from Williams, Arizona, to the south rim of the Grand Canyon, spanning 64 miles. The train runs daily, transporting more than 225,000 visitors yearly and keeping approximately 50,000 cars out of Grand Canyon National Park.
Eric Hadder, GCR chief mechanical officer, explained in a news release that each end of the track is at a similar elevation but that the railroad drops 1,100 feet in the middle.
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Good driving range 🔋 "As we're coming down the hill toward the center of the railroad, the energy from our braking efforts is being dissipated as heat," he said. "So, what we thought is if we were able to recapture that energy and store it as electricity in our batteries, then we could recharge our batteries on the downhill and then continue to use that energy in order to propel the train up the hill on the other side."
Regenerative braking, a key feature of this project, allows electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles to convert kinetic energy from braking into electrical energy that recharges the vehicle's battery. For the new locomotive, this extends its range, allowing it to travel one full round trip on a single charge, according to Matador Network.
Going electric and using regenerative braking not only reduces wasted energy, but it also reduces dependence on diesel — a dirty energy source that, when burned, contributes to harmful air pollution and the rising global temperature. An electric-powered locomotive produces zero exhaust stack pollution, meaning cleaner air for passengers as well as a quieter ride.
A grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program funds 80% of this exciting electric conversion project, which is set to be finished by 2027. The remaining portion falls to Xanterra, the company that operates the GCR, per Matador Network.
"This project is a unique chance to bring modern efficiency to a historic rail icon," Hadder said, per KTAR News.
Kevin Crosby, director of sustainability at Xanterra, added, "This project will significantly reduce the already low environmental impact of visiting the Grand Canyon via rail."
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