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Amtrak’s New Long-Distance Chargers Continue to Struggle

Plagued by mechanical issues, Amtrak’s Empire Builder departs Whitefish, Mont., nine hours late on January 2, 2023. Siemens says they are addressing hardware and software problems that have impacted Amtrak’s new ALC-42 Chargers this winter. Photo by Justin Franz. 

Amtrak’s New Long-Distance Chargers Continue to Struggle

By Justin Franz

CHICAGO — Nearly a year after they made their main line debut, Amtrak’s new Siemens Mobility ALC-42 “Chargers” are still having teething issues, especially in cold weather.

This winter, the Empire Builder connecting Chicago with Portland and Seattle has been plagued by delays and even cancelations. Some of the delays have been caused by weather and freight train interference, but perhaps the biggest issue has been with the ALC-42 locomotives, which have been running on the route since last February. Issues with the locomotives losing power have resulted in hours of delays for passengers across the route. In some instances, BNSF Railway has even had to provide freight locomotives to get the train over the road. 

Kara Evanko, a spokesperson for Siemens Mobility, has said the units have lost power during “unusually extreme circumstances where the locomotive experiences drastic changes in temperature.” 

Siemens officials say that hardware and software issues are impacting the locomotives, but both are being addressed. New software is being installed and hardware — specifically a pipe — is being replaced. Siemens officials didn’t comment on what exactly the pipe in question did or why it needed to be replaced. However, they tell Railfan & Railroad that the work is happening on the locomotives that are already on Amtrak property and that it does not require them to go back to Siemens. 

This isn’t the first time that cold and snow have challenged Siemens products. The SC-44 locomotives used on Amtrak’s Midwest service have also had issues in winter, but when Amtrak announced it was purchasing Chargers for long-distance services, officials said those problems would be addressed. 

Presently, a number of ALC-42s are in service on the Empire Builder, usually paired up with P42 locomotives that they will eventually replace. Amtrak expects to acquire 125 ALC-42 locomotives as part of its current order. 

This article was posted on: January 18, 2023