IRT: U.S. STEEL UNVEILS ITS NEW BATTERY-OPERATED LOCOMOTIVE

United States Steel Corp. unveiled a battery-powered locomotive as part of its ongoing effort to clean up operations in the Mon Valley. It will be used to transport steel, coke, scrap metal and iron ore around U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works. A second unit will be built for the company’s Edgar Thomson mill in Braddock.

The switcher trains operate at relatively slow speeds as a sort of on-site workhorse.

Innovative Rail developed the battery-powered version for use across industries, with its first tourist application coming next year. It has also built locomotives for the largest U.S. steelmaker, Nucor Corporation, based in North Carolina.

“The battery-powered locomotive reduces diesel fuel, reduces [fine particulate matter] and also reduces greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to over 7,000 passenger vehicles,” Clairton plant Manager Mark Jeffrey said at the unveiling. “The project represents a significant step towards air pollution reduction, reinforces our commitment to environmental excellence, and creates a model for other industries.”