Alliance for Green Railroad Energy and Efficiency (AGREE)
The Alliance for Green Railroad Energy and Efficiency (AGREE) is an alliance of battery technology companies, battery research higher education institutions, manufacturers and maintainers of railroad electrical devices, railroad owners, short line freight railroad companies, energy policy advocates and rail industry advocates.
The member organizations of AGREE have the goal to move the railroad industry towards the widespread adoption of safe, reliable, and efficient lower-emission fuel sources and mixtures. This is a long-term commitment that will take more than a decade to achieve.
AGREE is focused on the promotion and development of battery tenders: rail cars electrically connected to one or more locomotives. We further AGREE that this technology is not yet ready for deployment in mainline, long-haul freight applications with 6-axle AC locomotives. However, the technology could be used to transition the thousands of 4-axle DC locomotives used in local switching and short line haul applications. This is the goal of AGREE.
Roughly a century ago, government pollution controls began the shift away from coal-fired steam locomotives to a cleaner technology: electric and diesel-electric locomotives. Now, a third century of railroading is upon us. AGREE believes that the playbook for transition to a zero-emission future was learned a century ago in the transition from coal-fired steam to diesel. The technology to propel trains using solely electric power has existed for well over a century. The challenge is not a technical challenge. The challenge is one of ensuring safety, reliability, and economic efficiency. Overcoming those challenges will prove to be the most daunting.
Railroads, government, and equipment manufacturers should:
- Use battery tenders to convert the existing fleet of 4-axle DC switchers and road power to battery-hybrid locomotives, preserving billions of dollars in existing assets.
- Promote bio-diesel, hydrogen, LNG, and other alternative fuels to allow existing engines to operate cleaner and reliably in the event of insufficient battery charge or failure.
- Prove the reliability of the battery-hybrids in lighter density, short-haul rail operations such as railyards and short line freight railroads.
- Prioritize development of robust battery tenders to ensure safety and reliability in compliance with the Federal Railroad Administration’s robust safety standards.
- Partner with renewable energy developers and alternative battery charging solutions to ensure affordable, reliable, and efficient battery charging and transportation infrastructure.
- Promote scaling the technology incrementally by learning lessons in a light-density environment before deploying battery-hybrid solutions in heavy mainline operations.
- Use the data and knowledge gained from developing a hybrid-battery locomotive fleet to move to a green, sustainable energy fleet in the decades ahead.
An announcement of the railroads, railroad electrical suppliers, battery designers, and research university members of AGREE will be follow soon.
