How much does a Tier 4 locomotive cost?
Olivia Shea
Updated on February 25, 2026
The so-called Tier 4 locomotives, which cost about $280 million, are the cleanest available in the nation and designed to emit up to 85% less air pollution than the older engines Metrolink has had in service.
How much does a freight locomotive cost?
So, How much do locomotives cost? A diesel locomotive could cost from $500,000-$2 million. While an electric locomotive could cost more than $6 million. Price depends on whether it is powered by AC or DC traction, how much horsepower it has, or what electronics it is equipped with.
How much does an EMD locomotive cost?
The current price of these locomotives can range from $1.5 million for DC traction motors to nearly $2.5 million for AC traction motors….EMD SD70ACe Production Roster (Known, To Date)
| Owner | CSX |
|---|---|
| Road Number(s) | 4831-4850 |
| Quantity | 20 |
| Date Built | 2003 |
What are Tier 4 locomotives?
Tier 4 locomotives are compliant with the latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions standards and will reduce particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 85 percent compared to older locomotives.
How much do trains cost to buy?
You can expect an average train cost to be about $5,000,000 including both the engine train or locomotive, and the coaches used in the train. This would be if you were to buy used with about 20 cars attached to the engine.
How many locomotives are sold each year?
Following a period of consistent growth, the locomotive fleet of U.S. class I railroad operators fell slightly to 26,546 locomotives in 2017, from 26,719 locomotives in the previous year, only to increase again to 26,086 in 2018. As of 2019, this volume dropped again to 24,597, a year-o-year drop of some 5.7 percent.
What is a Tier 0 engine?
Engines manufactured for use in Canada, the United States or European Union before 1996 are referred to as Tier 0 engines. Please note that engines manufactured for sale in other markets are considered Tier 0 engines, unless the emissions can be demonstrated to meet a higher Tier.
How much can a locomotive pull?
Heavy Haul vs High Speed.
| Speed | Tractive Effort |
|---|---|
| 25 mph | 44,898 lbs |
| 15.0 mph | 75,000 lbs |
| 13.4 mph | 84,000 lbs |
| 8.9 mph | 126,000 lbs |
How many locomotives are stored by the Class I railroads?
For example, he reported previously that between 2001 and about 2003, the Class I railroads stored as many as 4,000 to 5,000 locomotives. After that, they started ordering new locomotives again and largely scrapped the older stored units. The year 2006 was the last of the really high freight volume growth years for railroads.
Why did Class I locomotive orders decline so quickly?
It wasn’t unusual to see fewer than 500 new orders each year from the seven Class I railroads. There were multiple reasons for the order declines. One reason was the increasing fuel burn penalty as Tier 4 EPA pollution controls were imposed on the most recent locomotive types.
How many new locomotives were ordered each year in 2019?
Orders for new locomotives had been much lower over the period between 2016 through 2019. It wasn’t unusual to see fewer than 500 new orders each year from the seven Class I railroads. There were multiple reasons for the order declines.
What is the market view of freight locomotives?
Here is the current market view of freight locomotives as of the early second quarter of 2020. Between 20% and 25% of Class I railroad locomotives might be considered surplus and “stored.”
